NFL, American Football Herren, USA New York Giants at Cleveland Browns Sep 22, 2024 Cleveland, Ohio, USA Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson 4 after the game against the New York Giants at Huntington Bank Field. Cleveland Huntington Bank Field Ohio USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xScottxGalvinx 20240922_sns_bg7_00312

Jul 31, 2026, 7:44 PM CUT

Deshaun Watson handed a harsh verdict in latest analysis

A 5-12 record with three different starting quarterbacks in 2025 made the Cleveland Browns' quarterback issues impossible to ignore. Still, the Browns may be inviting more trouble. One detailed report questions Deshaun Watson's projected starting role.

“When we last left Watson, he was clumsily evading questions about his extremely long history of being a No Means Yes guy, while also being one of the analytically worst QBs in the league, while also tearing the same Achilles tendon twice,” wrote Drew Magary.

The last full season Deshaun Watson played came in 2022 with the Houston Texans, and it was arguably the last time he looked like his best self.

His Cleveland tenure has been subpar, to say the least, with an Achilles injury and a lingering right shoulder issue hampering his time on the field.

“Oh, you gotta be s******g me. Not even Deshaun Watson is excited to see Deshaun Watson grace an NFL field one last (fingers crossed) time,” wrote Magary in his report for ‘The Defector’ on July 30.

NFL, American Football Herren, USA Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns Sep 7, 2025 Cleveland, Ohio, USA Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson 4 during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field. Cleveland Huntington Bank Field Ohio USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20250907_jhp_bk4_0465

After OTAs and minicamp, many insiders believed Deshaun Watson would be the Browns' starting quarterback. However, some noted that Shedeur Sanders had bridged the gap, and that has certainly shown during training camp.

Training camp opened with Deshaun Watson leading the first-team offense, but the veteran struggled to find his rhythm, throwing back-to-back interceptions. Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders' passes consistently connected with his receivers.

"It's notable that the rookie WRs have only worked with the No. 2 offense today, so only Shedeur Sanders," said Zac Jackson of ‘The Athletics’.

While it's far-fetched, his shoulder could still be an issue. During OTAs and minicamp, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot noted that Watson appeared to show slight fatigue in his surgically repaired shoulder.

With that said, it's not like Magary has good views of the other QBs.

It’s not just Deshaun Watson

While Deshaun Watson isn't the quarterback insiders want, they don't necessarily view Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel as viable replacements either.

In the same report, Drew Magary argued that the last legitimate quarterback the Browns had was Joe Flacco, whom they eventually traded away.

“The best QB the Browns had last season was Joe Flacco, whom they traded to Cincinnati midseason. With actual weapons at his disposal, Flacco would pass for over 1,200 yards and 11 TDs in his first four games with the Bengals. He would be the best QB on the 2026 Browns roster by orders of magnitude,” wrote Magary.

The insider expressed that while Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders played in a few games last season, they remain too inconsistent to start for the Browns.

While training camp is still underway, we're likely to get some valuable insider information soon. Until then, sit tight.

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote