Despite having three quarterbacks under contract -Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel- the Browns remain one of the teams most in need of depth at the position. Since Baker Mayfield’s departure, they have not had a reliable quarterback, which has translated into offensive struggles and one of the worst offenses in the league.
Today, Baker Mayfield is considered one of the most stable quarterbacks in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Browns once had him, and he delivered their first playoff victory since 1994 during the 2020 season. However, just one year later, they decided to move on from him to sign Deshaun Watson – a move that has turned into a major failure, one the franchise is still paying for.
Shedeur Sanders brings joy at Palm Beach school as he shares a heartfelt moment with a young fan
Ahead of the 2022 season, Cleveland signed Watson to a five-year, $230 million contract, the largest in NFL history at the time. The investment has not paid off, as he has played only 19 games since then due to suspensions and injuries.
The Browns are still tied to Watson’s contract
It is clear that Cleveland needs a quarterback, but they are heavily limited by Watson’s contract situation. One name that had surfaced as a possible option was Malik Willis, a sought-after free agent who appears to be trending toward the Miami Dolphins. Another quarterback linked to the Browns is Arizona Cardinals starter Kyler Murray.
However, Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein believes Watson’s contract – which carries $46 million fully guaranteed this season – will significantly limit Cleveland’s ability to pursue a quarterback in free agency.
Epstein reported that new head coach Todd Monken sees promise in Shedeur Sanders, but he will not be handed the starting job automatically. Some league sources even question whether he will beat out the in-house competition. Watson’s fully guaranteed salary gives the Browns strong motivation to keep him on the roster. Additionally, with the 2027 quarterback draft class projected to be stronger than the 2026 group, Cleveland may prefer to avoid investing heavily in a quarterback this offseason.
An open competition could ultimately favor Watson, as talent evaluators believe his athletic and processing ceiling surpasses that of Sanders.
This situation presents both positives and negatives for Shedeur Sanders. On the positive side, he would mainly compete against Watson. On the negative side, rumors continue to grow suggesting Watson will likely be the starter at least to begin the season.
