Cleveland Browns Set To Make Major Move With Deshaun Watson After Failed Trade
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is widely considered one of the worst trades in NFL history. The AFC North team sent a plethora of picks to the Houston Texans, traded Baker Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers and mortgaged their future for a player who has only played 19 games in four seasons.
Watson is one of three quarterbacks the Browns have under contract entering the offseason (Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel), but the position’s future is anybody’s guess right now. Watson could have a bigger role in 2026, as the Browns could give Sanders more time to learn while a veteran leads the squad in Todd Monken’s first season.
Despite being given a grim prediction about his NFL future, Watson won’t go anywhere in 2026.
Browns Expected To Restructure Deshaun Watson’s Contract
After signing a fully-guaranteed $230 million contract, Deshaun Watson has struggled to deliver. His hefty contract has made it hard for the franchise to move on from him. However, the front office could find something positive in this situation.
According to Browns reporter Zac Jackson of The Athletic, Cleveland would restructure Watson’s contract to keep him on the roster in 2026.
“The Browns will weigh all quarterback options before deciding whether to give Shedeur Sanders a chance to enter his second season as the starter,” Jackson wrote. “If they sign Willis or trade for Mac Jones, they’d be adding a clear-cut starter. In almost any other case, Sanders would be in the mix as the team heads toward the April start of the offseason program under Monken.
“At some point in the next two weeks, the Browns figure to restructure Deshaun Watson’s contract to free up around $40 million in cap space. That would ensure Watson, who hasn’t played since October 2024 because of a twice-torn right Achilles tendon, would be on the team for 2026, the final year of his deal.”
The Browns will enter a new era after they fired Kevin Stefanski. Time will tell what role Watson gets under Monken.
