Todd Monken has spilled the beans on where Deshaun Watson stands in the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback plans for 2026
Cleveland Browns are going to look at everything with the quarterback position, and Deshaun Watson will be a part of those plans.
The Cleveland Browns have plenty to work through this offseason but no task is bigger than finding their starting quarterback for the 2026 season.
Cleveland has Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel as the quarterbacks on the roster. All signs point toward the Browns bringing in a veteran quarterback to add to the room for competition.
Todd Monken reveals where Deshaun Watson stands with the Browns
Watson has not played since Week 7 of the 2024 season when he suffered an Achilles injury. The Browns quarterback reinjured the same Achilles tendon and faced a tougher road back from the injury as a result. Cleveland didn’t activate Watson during the 2025 season, but he’s going to get a chance to be the guy in 2026.
“Any time you have a player who at one time played at an elite level, you give them the benefit of the doubt to see if they can get that back. So he’ll get a chance,” Monken said on Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“I don’t decide who plays, the players decide who plays. I’m excited to work with him, and excited to work with all our players.”
There you have it. Watson will get a chance to be the starter for Cleveland and it makes the most sense whether folks want to admit it or not. Cleveland is currently set to be hit with an $80 million cap hit from Watson’s contract in 2026, though the contract is likely to be restructured. If the most expensive player on the roster can be the starting QB he once was, then the Browns are better off because of it.
The thing with Watson is he hasn’t shown the ability to be the same passer he was in 2020 when he led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards. Over three seasons with the Browns, Watson has a 9-10 record in 19 games while completing 61 percent of his passes for 3,365 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Watson will turn 31 years old early in the 2025 season and he’s been off the field a ton in his career. Turning it around at this point when he hasn’t been an above-average quarterback in six years just isn’t likely to happen. To be proven wrong would be good news for the Browns.
Expect Watson and Sanders to compete for the job along with another veteran starting with OTAs. Monken said he would like to have a starting quarterback named for training camp, so the starter can get the majority of first-team snaps.
Don’t be surprised if you see Watson on the field again for the Browns as the starter in 2026. Monken is telling you himself that Watson will get a chance to start in Week 1.
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