Total Pro Sports
The Cleveland Browns failed to have a good season again, posting a 5-12 record amid a campaign that saw them start Joe Flacco (one of the worst quarterbacks in 2025) and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders as quarterbacks. They added intriguing pieces for the future, but the final piece is still missing.
Another quarterback who didn’t set foot on the field once received heat from Browns owner Jimmy Haslam. After firing head coach Kevin Stefanski on Monday, Haslam focused on Deshaun Watson and how his controversial trade impacted Cleveland’s roster construction plans.
“I mean, I don’t think we need to cover it again,” Haslam said on Monday. “I mean, I said it. You know, when you trade for a player and you give up three number ones and two number threes, that really depletes your ability to raise the roster. So, did it have impact? Yes.”
Deshaun Watson didn’t play a single game in 2025. He suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in October 2024, which required a second surgery in January 2025 after he re-ruptured the tendon. He hasn’t played more than seven games in a season during his four-year stint with the Browns, which has raised eyebrows among the fans.
After a tumultuous season with their two rookie quarterbacks, the Browns could turn to Deshaun Watson to start a couple of games while Shedeur Sanders learn continues to prepare. During a Dec. 23 report, insider Mary Kay Cabot suggested the scenario.
“I do believe he’ll be on the roster, in part because of the salary cap considerations,” Cabot said. “He’ll be on the team next year and he will have the chance to start games at the beginning of the season as a bridge quarterback in the event that they need a veteran to do that.”
In 19 games in Cleveland, Watson has gone 341 of 557 for 3,365 yards and 19 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.
