Dawgs By Nature
For most people in the State of Ohio, Saturday night was about The Ohio State Buckeyes chance to win the Big 10 Title and secure the top seed in the College Football Playoffs. For those in power within the Cleveland Browns, it was all about sharing their QB Deshaun Watson plans with the top media insiders, for some reason.
This week, the Browns opened the practice window for Watson to return from his Achilles injury. Many believed it was a formality and that the former star quarterback would never see the field again for the team. Watson’s contract, which Cleveland GM Andrew Berry has renegotiated and restructured a number of times, still has a ton of salary cap space left to resolve, but the assumption was that the Browns would deal with that as dead cap.
With owner Jimmy Haslam coming out and calling the Watson trade and contract a “swing and a miss” this offseason, those assumptions all made sense, even if we would never get a straight answer on who was most responsible for the decision.
On Saturday night, everyone found out those assumptions were wrong and Watson will be on the Cleveland roster next year. Why did we say Saturday night was about sharing their plans with the top media insiders? Both ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport came out with almost exactly the same information at exactly the same time:
Watson’s contract has a lot to do with the decision, but according to Over the Cap, with a post-June 1st release, the Browns would owe the same salary cap amount in 2026 if Watson is on the team or not:
According to Schefter, Watson will not only have a chance to compete for the starting job next year, but the team values his role as a mentor of sorts to the young quarterbacks:
The Browns believe Watson has contributed to their quarterback room and provided a veteran presence that has had value for their rookie quarterbacks. That’s another reason he was back at practice last week and is expected back with the team next season.
Currently, Watson’s contract is set to expire after next season. Even after he leaves, barring another contract change, Cleveland will owe over $50 million in dead cap for Watson in 2027.
While many believed that the 2026 NFL season would be a fresh start for the Browns, the Watson news coming out this week seems to indicate more of the same next year. While HC Kevin Stefanski may still be on the hot seat, this news all but confirms that Berry will be back in his general manager role.
While teams should never make decisions solely based on their fans, the amazing Cleveland supporters are unlikely to take this news well, especially as the play on the field is putrid. This offseason now seems destined for one of two major directions:
