Browns reportedly open to this Deshaun Watson option for 2026 season

Shortly after the Cleveland Browns relieved head coach Kevin Stefanski of his duties this past Monday, Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters that he expects quarterback Deshaun Watson will remain on Cleveland's roster through the offseason. 

During the latest edition of the "Orange and Brown Talk Podcast," Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot expanded on Watson's short-term future with the organization. 

Will Deshaun Watson be a bridge option for Browns? 

"I do think that there is a world in which Deshaun can be their bridge quarterback," Cabot said about the Browns. "Now, you’d be taking a risk. Nobody knows what he’s going to look like in the heat of the moment out there on the football field after being out of it for so long. But the Browns have liked what they’ve seen inside [their practice facility]."

Watson has made just 19 regular-season starts for the Browns since they acquired him in March 2022, and he was arguably the worst starting quarterback of the 2024 NFL campaign before he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in October of that year. Watson later required a second surgery after he reinjured the Achilles during his recovery, and he didn't take a meaningful in-game snap this season.

That said, the Browns remain on the hook for what's left of the fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract they gave Watson nearly four years ago. Meanwhile, Cleveland rookie Shedeur Sanders was hardly elite across the first seven starts of his pro career. 

According to Pro Football Reference, Sanders finished ranked last in the NFL among qualified players with a 19.0 adjusted QBR, a 68.1 passer rating and a 56.6 percent completion percentage. 

Could Browns' QB situation turn head-coaching candidates away? 

"It also is going to depend on how powerful a head coach you hire," Cabot added. "If you hire a John Harbaugh, he is certainly going to have every bit of say in who his quarterback is going to be. He’s not just going to have input. He’s going to make that decision 100 percent."

Harbaugh reportedly has "a high regard" for New York Giants signal-caller Jaxson Dart. It's unknown what Harbaugh thinks about the Browns, but it certainly seems as if Cleveland's next head coach will have to deal with a situation that involves Watson and Sanders sharing the team's quarterback room through at least the start of springtime workouts.