The quarterback the Cleveland Browns traded for in 2022 and handed a fully guaranteed $230 million contract to has become one of the organization’s most questionable decisions.
Deshaun Watson’s tenure in Cleveland has been plagued by injuries and underwhelming performance, leaving the franchise searching for answers at the most important position.
Team owner Jimmy Haslam recently provided an update on Watson’s status when asked about the quarterback’s future with the organization.
“I think it’s premature. I don’t think anything’s changed on Deshaun’s situation since we were together in March,” Haslam said Tuesday. “I will say this, he’s working hard in his rehab and that’s our focus is to get him well and healthy and then we’ll make decisions after that.”
Will Deshaun Watson play for the #Browns ever again? pic.twitter.com/Uuwph58tz6
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) July 29, 2025
Watson has managed just 19 games over three seasons in Cleveland. He threw for 3,365 yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during that span.
The 2024 season proved particularly difficult as Watson suffered a torn Achilles after seven starts. He finished with 1,148 passing yards and five touchdowns before the injury ended his campaign.
The Achilles injury was aggravated again in January, which will likely keep Watson sidelined for most or all of the upcoming season.
Cleveland placed him on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list before training camp began.
Haslam called the Watson trade a “swing and miss” back in March but avoided discussing the quarterback’s long-term future in detail.
The Browns have moved forward with a four-man competition featuring veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco alongside rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Watson remains the fifth quarterback on the roster. He continues attending team meetings and working through his rehabilitation at the facility while the competition unfolds around him.
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Browns QB Struggles On Day 6 Of Camp
