Has Deshaun Watson played his last game for Cleveland?
BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns‘ disastrous trade for Deshaun Watson took another turn Friday, as the team announced the quarterback tore his right Achilles tendon again and underwent a second surgery.
In a statement, the team said Watson’s “recovery time and return to play status is uncertain, and he will likely miss significant time during the 2025 season.”
Since trading three first-round picks and giving Watson a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract in 2022, Watson has played in 19 games out of a possible 57 due to injuries and suspension. He posted the lowest Total QBR before suffering his initial Achilles tear on Oct. 20, marking the second straight year his season ended because of injury.
Watson’s standing as Cleveland’s starter was already uncertain, and his latest setback places a greater spotlight on the Browns’ quarterback situation this offseason.
We asked Browns writer Daniel Oyefusi, draft reporter Matt Miller and senior national writer Jeremy Fowler to answer five key questions about Watson’s latest setback.
How does this affect the Browns’ offseason plans at quarterback?
Browns general manager Andrew Berry, speaking at his end-of-season news conference Monday, revealed that Watson suffered a setback but said the development would not significantly impact the team’s plans at quarterback.
With Watson’s on-field struggles since coming to Cleveland (his 34.1 Total QBR on the Browns would rank only above Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis‘), his latest injury after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in the 2023 season, and only one other quarterback under contract for the next season (2023 fifth-round pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson), Berry acknowledged that the room would look different in 2025. The team was already likely to bring in multiple quarterbacks either in free agency or through the draft, and that remains unchanged. The Browns are in prime position to take a quarterback with the second pick, but Berry noted the value of the spot is to either take a blue-chip prospect or trade back and accumulate additional picks. — Oyefusi
Can the Browns pull any financial levers to give themselves relief from Watson’s contract? Can they cut him?
The Browns owe Watson $46 million in each of the next two seasons. Cutting him would trigger a dead cap charge of $119 million if designated as a post-June 1 release. This makes it highly likely that he remains on the roster in some capacity in 2025, and he’s likely to spend much of it rehabbing.
Cleveland has restructured Watson’s contract multiple times, including at the beginning of the 2024 season, converting his large salary into a bonus that can be spread out for immediate cap relief. The Browns are currently projected to be over the cap next season, and another restructure of his 2025 salary is possible.
The salary is fully guaranteed, so it must be paid out and the cap commitment has to hit the books at some point, too. The Browns and Watson in December agreed to rework his deal, adding two void years that allow the team to push his cap charge as far as 2030. Watson might not play in Cleveland again, but the team will feel the financial burden at some point. — Oyefusi
What are the Browns’ options with Watson if he misses the entire season?
The Browns bought an insurance policy when drafting Watson’s contract that allows the team to receive cap relief if he is sidelined because of injury. The team got cap space when he missed the final eight games of the 2023 season because of his season-ending shoulder surgery and will get some relief because of the Achilles injury that forced Watson to miss most of the 2024 season.
According to a copy of Watson’s contract obtained by ESPN, the Browns would have $44.2 million of his $46 million salary insured for an injury. That cap relief would be credited to Cleveland in 2026. — Oyefusi
What are we hearing from execs and GMs around the league about potential trades or free agent acquisitions?
The Browns planned to scour the Earth for quarterback help even before the latest development. The setback will only intensify those efforts.
Sources have told ESPN that every quarterback with starter’s ability or potential will be evaluated by the Browns this offseason. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Browns must spend big, however. Kevin Stefanski has had success with many different quarterbacks over the years, and the firing of offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey suggests Stefanski will return to his offensive system and take back playcalling duties.
With the team holding the No. 2 pick, the expectation among several other teams is that Cleveland will think long and hard about selecting a quarterback at that spot. — Fowler
With the No. 2 pick, will the Browns be able to find a rookie quarterback starter?
Yes. Luckily for Cleveland, the 2025 class features two passers with first-round grades from NFL teams: Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
As the predraft process begins, Ward is the early favorite to be the No. 1 pick by the Titans, according to sources in the NFL. Sanders is very much still in play with all-star games, the combine and team workouts yet to happen.
Of the two, Sanders would be a better fit in Stefanski’s offense. He’s a capable pocket passer who can play on time and in rhythm without the need to scramble outside the pocket to find passing windows. In an offense based on play-action and on-target passing, Sanders would thrive. His off-target rate was third lowest in the FBS last season (6.5%), which points to his pinpoint accuracy.
In a draft without quarterback depth, the No. 2 pick might be the Browns’ only chance to find a rookie starter. They likely will be heavily invested in Ward and Sanders over the next three months. And while Ward is ranked higher than Sanders in my personal rankings, I like how Sanders could hit the ground running in Cleveland. — Miller
