Deshaun Watson’s career since the Houston Texans traded him has been as turbulent as the end of his tenure with the franchise, and it recently took another noteworthy turn amid his push to get back on the football field as soon as possible.
The three-time Pro Bowler and current Cleveland Browns quarterback has not hidden his desire to play, and hopefully, this season.
However, the prevailing narrative around the Browns suggests they will choose otherwise.
Ex-Texans QB Deshaun Watson Facing Major Roadblock
GettyDeshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during mandatory minicamp.
Watson is in his third season with the Browns, who acquired him from the Texans in 2022 for a hefty haul of draft picks before also signing him to a five-year, $230 million contract. They have already had to amend Watson’s contract multiple times.
The Browns could simply wait for the deal to expire in 2026.
“Watson continues to make excellent progress in his rehab from the re-ruptured Achilles, and could still have his 21-day practice window open at some point this season,” Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot wrote on November 16. “But actually getting on the field down the stretch is another story. The Browns will be very judicious in putting him on the field with a maximum of only three weeks of practice since undergoing the initial Achilles repair last October.
“They’re more likely to wait until the offseason, and have him come back stronger in organized team activities and minicamp with more than a year of rehab to his credit.
Deshaun Watson Paying Price for Browns Contract
Getty ImagesDeshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cabot believes it is a “foregone conclusion” that Watson will remain with the Browns in 2026, pointing to his $80.7 million cap charge and the ramifications of cutting or trading the ex-Texans star.
That is even though the two sides are expected to restructure the QB’s deal once again.”
“The economics dictate he’ll likely be around for the fifth and final year of his fully-guaranteed, $230 million contract, which averages $46 million a year,” Cabot wrote. “Watson … looks good in workouts behind the scenes. But it might not make sense to risk rushing him back this season, especially when the Browns have two rookies to evaluate.”
Browns rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel exited Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens early. Backup Shedeur Sanders, a fifth-round rookie, struggled, leading to speculation that the Browns could be forced to turn to Watson before all was said and done this season.
Deshaun Watson Left in Limbo
Getty ImagesDeshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on against the Carolina Panthers.
Notably, The Athletic’s Zac Jackson expressed sentiments in the opposite direction about the former Texans first-round pick, believing Watson would be off the Browns’ roster in 2026.
“It seems inevitable that the Browns will officially cut ties with a post-June 1 designation early next year, which would put his dead-money number for 2026 in the range of $70 million to $80 million after whatever insurance credit the team receives,” Jackson wrote in an article on November 13.
“With the Browns still on the hook for around $135 million to Watson after this year, going the post-June 1 cut route would then leave around $50 million for 2027. The current structure of the deal calls for Watson to be on the team’s cap through 2029.”
Watson’s current situation is strikingly far from where he was at the height of his Texans tenure.
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