It’s possible that the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback for 2026 is already on the roster.
Fans will absolutely lose it, however, if Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, and Dillon Gabriel remain the team’s "Big 3" entering training camp.
General manager Andrew Berry didn’t take the QB room seriously in 2025 following Watson’s reruptured Achilles tendon, and it blew up in his face. Adding Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett was never going to move the needle, and neither was using third- and fifth-round draft picks on Gabriel and Sanders, respectively.
Fans will want to see Sanders get a chance to compete for the job in camp this summer, but as new head coach Todd Monken made clear, no one’s going to be handed the QB1 job in February. The Browns will have options to add outside competition, both in free agency and the draft, and Berry might’ve spilled the tea on his plans when he admitted to reporters on Tuesday: “I don’t think you can invest in (the QB position) enough.”
Naturally, Berry was asked about Watson’s progress during that same media session at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, and it’s what he didn’t say that might resonate most with Browns fans.
At this point, no one’s allowing themselves to wrap their heads around Watson potentially starting for the Browns in 2026. Berry, though, was careful to leave everything on the table with his response on Tuesday.
“We believe in competition at every spot,” he said. “That’s no different than quarterback. Deshaun’s been working really hard. He’s been working his tail off. Like I said, we’re excited to get going in April with all of our players across the roster, because competition is something that we really believe in.”
Browns’ Deshaun Watson nightmare won't be ending in 2026
Why would Berry keep the door open for Watson this year, even though his chances of staying on the roster beyond March of 2027 are slim-to-none?
It’s because Watson will definitely remain on the roster for the entire 2026 season, per his contract. Browns fans should be preparing themselves now for company lines and jargon when it comes to Watson, because we’re going to be hearing it for the next 365-plus days.
Cleveland’s next move with Watson isn’t to release or trade him. His dead-cap hits would be too crippling this year, even with a post-June 1 cut or trade. He also has a no-trade clause for the life of the contract, so the Browns couldn’t move him even if they wanted to.
Berry’s next move with Watson is to restructure his deal, which will create $35 million in salary cap space and set the team up for his pending release in 2027. The Browns will use a post-June 1 designation, split the remaining dead-cap charges over two years, and finally have the worst contract in franchise history off their books in 2029.
None of that is really an option at this point. It’s been planned for years, and Watson’s twice-torn Achilles has only made the whole situation look worse and more painful.
It makes no sense for the Browns to start Watson in 2026, because he’s no longer in the franchise’s future plans. They’re much more likely to take an extended look at Sanders, or seek a better bridge option with franchise-QB upside, like Malik Willis, than allow their recurring Watson nightmare to continue.
But whether he plays or gets stashed away on injured reserve with some type of phantom injury, Watson’s going to be on the roster in some shape or form through 2026. In the interim, fans shouldn’t expect to get updates at face value until the players are back on the grass in July.