The Browns will consider an extension for Deshaun Watson if he plays well.
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The Browns will consider an extension for Deshaun Watson if he plays well.
Deshaun Watson only has one year remaining on his contract with the Cleveland Browns but there’s a chance he could extend his stay.
Watson will be considered for the starting job in what new head coach Todd Monken has dubbed an opening competition. Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel — to a lesser extent — will also be in the mix.
Watson landed in Cleveland back in 2022 via a blockbuster trade. The Browns quickly inked him to a $230 million, fully guaranteed contract, banking on him to be their quarterback of the future. That did not pan out in the slightest.
Watson has appeared in just 19 games, being sidelined by season-ending injuries and a lengthy suspension stemming from his off-field issues. He missed all of last season recovering from a twice ruptured Achilles.
Next season represents his final shot to make an impact with the Browns. But if he does, it could create a very interesting question for Cleveland moving forward.
“If Watson returns to his Pro Bowl form and plays like he did in Houston six years ago, the Browns would consider extending him after this season,” Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com said. “When they first acquired Watson, they hoped it would be a 10-year proposition. An extension might be a longshot, but they’re not ruling it out. Of course, first he has to beat out Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel or whoever else for the starting job.”
Browns Will Weigh ‘Time Horizon’ With Deshaun Watson
Browns general manager Andrew Berry addressed the idea of going with Watson as their starter and what it could mean for the team’s future.
“Certainly time horizon factors into that, but just with any veteran player, there’s no rule against extending the player’s contract if they perform and they do well,” Berry said. “So I wouldn’t necessarily box it into any one approach. It really will be performance-based.”
On the flip side, if Sanders wins the job and delivers, it could be a game-changer for the Browns. His fifth-round rookie contract would give Cleveland rare financial flexibility and a chance to finally pivot out of the Watson mess and build a more complete roster around a low-cost quarterback.
Deshaun Watson to Get ‘Fresh Start’ With Browns
For the first time in his tenure with the Browns, Watson will have to earn his standing with a new coaching staff. Monken has left the door open, pointing to Watson’s Pro Bowl pedigree, while owner Jimmy Haslam — who once labeled the trade for Watson a “swing and miss” — has also struck a more optimistic tone.
“Deshaun has a great chance, fresh start, offensive minded coach, who has, in his past, been able to work with all kinds of different quarterbacks and make him successful,” Haslam said. “So Deshaun has a great chance to do that now. We talked to him the other day. He said he weighed less than he had in several years, was in great shape. He’ll be here on April 7 when we start (the offseason program) and let’s see what Deshaun can do. We’re all excited.”
The Browns are set to kick off their offseason workout program this week. That’s where the quarterback situation will start to take shape.