Trading for Deshaun Watson will probably go down as the biggest mistake in Cleveland Browns history. That's a lot to say for an organization that has had its fair share of miscues, especially in its expansion era.
Even so, Watson's fully-guaranteed contract might force the team's hand to give him yet another chance to be the franchise's Week 1 starting quarterback.
The former Houston Texans star appears hell-bent on silencing the doubters and proving that he's still got it. He claims to be fully healthy and eager to showcase his skills in the preseason.
"I haven't played football in a long time, so for me, it doesn't matter how long I play, how many games I play. I just want to play football," Watson said. "A lot of people wrote me off and said that I wouldn't be playing football again after two Achilles injuries. So I'm proving that wrong, and I'm proving myself right. So it's a great opportunity for me to get out there and showcase what I can do."
The Browns have little left to gain from another Watson audition
Watson continues to split first-team reps with Shedeur Sanders. But what will the excuse be if he gets out there and struggles in the preseason? The Browns' defense has his number, so who's to say it will be any better against other teams?
There's little to gain from starting Watson in 2026. Granted, the Browns want to win now, and leadership has been adamant that this isn't being treated as a rebuilding year.
That said, it's hard to believe that Watson gives this team a better chance to win than Sanders. Truth be told, it's hard to believe he's a top-40 quarterback in the league right now. He hasn't been that guy for most of his tenure with the Browns, so why would things be any different now that he's older and coming off a twice-torn Achilles tendon?
Some may argue that Kevin Stefanski deserved some of the blame, or that the supporting cast is better now. Fair enough, but if that's the case, then one could only assume that Sanders would also do much better this time around.
Even if Watson plays well, why would the Browns want him back in 2027? Unless he's willing to take a massive pay cut, why would anyone else even get his agent on the phone? He's been a distraction from the second he arrived in Berea, and he hasn't done anything to earn his keep thus far.
He can only play the injury card for so long. If he struggles in Cleveland's upcoming preseason games, there will be no convincing the fan base that he should get a single first-team rep going forward.
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