Without the dummy year change in December the Cleveland Browns would have got no benefit from keeping him on the roster for the 2026 season, with this change they are able to save significant salary cap space in exchange for a roster spot in 2026. Teams have five to seven players inactive on game days so even if they have to do this for a season it is not a big disadvantage, would anyone really miss Chigozie Anusiem for instance.
I would expect Deshaun Watson to start the 2025 training camp on the PUP list recovering from his Achilles injury. The quarterback room is expected to be either Flacco or Pickett and then Gabriel and Sanders. There is a chance they carry four or Sanders is moved but these seem more wildcards rather than the most likely outcome.
The team can still decide to cut him in March 2026 if they decide this is the best course of action. I highly doubt he is going to cause any problems because if his behavior leads to a suspension then he is risking $46m in voided guarantees and any faint chance of a future NFL backup quarterback career.
Here are the teams cut options and the dead cap for each year, the cash is $46m in 2026 either way.
Cut in 2026, post June 1st cut:
2026 - $46,124,000
2027 - $89,507,000
Keep for 2026, Post June 1st cut in March 2027:
2026 - $46,124,000
2027 - $35,831,000
2028 - $53,676,000
From this we can see the impact on the extra year, it splits the dead cap over two years and makes it much more manageable from a salary cap perspective rather than a hard reset.
If they decide to keep him in 2026 then they will have a choice of how to use him, they can either treat him like the 53rd player on the roster and pretend he doesn't exist. The other option is if he could be the veteran in the room helping the younger players. All the reports from players and behind the scenes is that he has been a good teammate, the issue is his play has just been incredibly poor when on the field. If he wants a career in the league beyond 2026 then it will come as a veteran backup. Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry will be able to accurately project which role he can fill while he is transitioned off the Cleveland Browns forever.