ESPN said the quiet part out loud about Deshaun Watson’s future after the 2026 NFL season with the Cleveland Browns
There’s a good chance Deshaun Watson ends up the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns this fall. The big question for Watson’s NFL career comes after this fall.
The Cleveland Browns have a chance to take a step forward in Todd Monken’s first year as a head coach coming off of a 5-12 season. However, much of the improvement lays on the shoulders of what the Browns can get from the quarterback position.
The Browns have Deshaun Watson in the picture again and his biggest competition for the starting job is second-year QB Shedeur Sanders. Dillon Gabriel is also entering his second season and the Browns drafted former Arkansas QB Taylen Green in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft last month.
The most likely outcome is that Watson gets one more season with a chance to be the starter for the Browns, but where does his career go from there?
Deshaun Watson is playing for what’s left of his NFL career in 2026
Coming off an Achilles injury in 2024 that forced Watson to miss all of the 2025 season, the veteran quarterback is in the final year of his deal before he will hit free agency next offseason. Watson, who will turn 31 years old during the season, is playing for his next contract.
“If Watson can regain his confidence and stay in the lineup, there might be a spot for him to start somewhere in 2027,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote recently. “The QB is 30 years old.”
“The main thing is showing that he can stay healthy,” an AFC executive said, via ESPN.
Health has been the biggest hurdle with Watson in Cleveland. The former Pro Bowler has played only 19 games for the Browns over four seasons due to injuries and his initial suspension after the Browns traded for him. Watson has never played more than seven games in one season with the Browns, which he did in 2024.
When on the field, the play hasn’t been there either for the former Clemson standout. Watson has just 3,365 passing yards while with the Browns to go along with 19 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Between the shoulder and Achilles injuries, Watson hasn’t been healthy since the 2022 season when he played in the final six games of the season after his suspension.
The Browns hope to have their starting quarterback named after OTAs and the favorite to be the guy is Watson. It’ll be an important season for him if he’s handed the keys to the offense with the remainder of his career and next contract to play for.