Browns 'leaving their possibilities open' for shocking quarterback development

A recent Instagram video showed Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson sprinting as he works to return to action after he suffered a torn Achilles tendon last October and then reinjured the Achilles during his recovery. 

Watson has spent portions of the summer sharing a quarterback room with presumed Week 1 starter Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel and 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders. 

During a Thursday appearance on Cleveland sports radio station 92.3 The Fan, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer was asked if Watson could play for the club during the upcoming season. 

"Nothing would shock me, so I just think that we all have to stay tuned for that," Cabot responded, as shared by Stephen Douglas of Sports Illustrated. "Will [the Browns] ever let [Watson] set foot on the field for them again? I don't really know, but he is certainly determined. And the Browns, every time they talk about Deshaun Watson nowadays, it's in glowing terms about what he's doing inside of that building. How he is mentoring the younger guys. His attitude. His work ethic. So he's in good standing with the club right now, and I think that anything can happen."

Sanders was a favorite among pockets of Cleveland fans and national media members even before he completed 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-10 win over the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8. However, he's now dealing with an oblique injury that could sideline him through Cleveland's final two preseason games. 

Neither Pickett nor Gabriel played against Carolina because of hamstring injuries. Gabriel will start Cleveland's preseason matchup at the Philadelphia Eagles this Saturday if he's healthy enough to go for that contest. 

As for Watson, whispers first emerged this past spring hinting he doesn't want to spend the entire 2025 season on injured reserve. More recently, an update from earlier in August suggested that Watson has a chip on his shoulder after Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said in March that Cleveland "took a big swing and miss with Deshaun."

"They haven't ruled him out," Cabot added about the Browns' handling of Watson this summer. "I mean, they haven't put him on the shelf for the whole entire season, so I think they're leaving their possibilities open."

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Browns would face a 2026 salary-cap charge of $131.161M if they release Watson during the season. Watson has made just 19 regular-season starts since he accepted a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract to accept a trade from the Houston Texans to the Browns in March 2022.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry has insisted the club could have four quarterbacks on the active roster for its Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. Eventually, Berry may have to make room on the depth chart for Watson unless the two sides come to an agreement that results in the 29-year-old sitting until next season.