Browns QB Deshaun Watson facing career-saving season in 2026

The Cleveland Browns quarterback position is a fascinating watch this offseason as Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sandes take center stage.

While some want Sanders to become the starter for Todd Monken (me too), all the reports suggest Watson will be the one who is going to get first crack at it.

His huge contract only has a year left on it, and Watson has given the Browns zero reason to think they will get any sort of return on that awful deal.

And as NFL.com's Nick Shook writes, if things don't go well for Watson in 2026, it could be a career-ender.

“There's no guarantee Watson is worth his salt in the NFL anymore," Shook wrote. "The last time he took the field in a real game, he was one of the worst signal-callers in the league. Watson has one year left on his five-year, $230 million deal, a fully guaranteed contract that has produced virtually zero return on investment.

"If he performs as poorly as he did the last time he was on an NFL field, it's possible his career ends after 2026. Just don't expect any guarantees, because none of us know how this is going to play out.”

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Will Watson wind back the clock?

Color me skeptical on that, simply because coming back from two Achilles injuries is a tough thing to do, and to play at a high level straight off the bat is nearly impossible.

Plus, the last time we saw him, Watson had the Browns at 1-5 in 2024.

So, what evidence do we have that Watson can somehow become a consistent starter in the league, having not played for so long? Nothing.

But that doesn't mean he can't shock the NFL world under Monken. I just don't see it happening, and if it doesn't, well, Shook has already outlined what that could mean.

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