Many Cleveland Browns fans won’t like who the team named the starting quarterback, nor should they.
On Monday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported the Browns named Deshaun Watson QB1 over Shedeur Sanders for Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 13 (CBS, 1 p.m. ET). That’s a massive mistake for Cleveland.
Why the Browns are making a mistake in naming Deshaun Watson QB1 over Shedeur Sanders
Watson’s contract has long been an albatross for the Browns. After acquiring him in a trade from the Houston Texans before the 2022 season, Cleveland signed the 2017 first-round pick to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract. Per Spotrac, Cleveland would incur $40.959M in dead cap in 2026 and a whopping $86.206M in 2027 if it released him. The deal includes four void (dummy) years, which it could use to spread these financial hits, but the dead money would hinder its roster-building abilities.
Even so, Watson could make his money on the bench, where he belongs. He has spent much of his time in Cleveland there anyway, as he has often been unavailable. The QB missed the 2025 season due to an Achilles tear. He was suspended 11 games in 2022 for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy after more than two dozen women came forward with sexual assault lawsuits. Those lawsuits were later settled.
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