The quarterback state of affairs in Cleveland has an opportunity to get even messier if Deshaun Watson returns to the sphere this season.
Watson continues to be recovering from a twice-torn Achilles tendon, and all indications are that he’ll miss everything of the 2025 season.
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However what if he would not? What if Watson will get wholesome sooner or later this yr and is cleared to play. Whereas unlikely, it is not out of the realm of risk.
The Browns are presently attempting to juggle Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders and newly acquired Tyler Huntley.
Describing Cleveland’s quarterback room as a logjam can be an understatement. They technically have a complete of six quarterbacks on the roster, together with Watson.
They’d in all probability desire to put Watson on the bodily unable to carry out (PUP) checklist for your complete season. In response to Professional Soccer Discuss’s Mike Florio, “They qualify for optimum insurance coverage protection (and finally cap reduction) if he can’t play.”
What if Deshaun Watson returns in 2025?
Nonetheless, what if Watson is forward of schedule? What if Watson is cleared to play? If that situation presents itself, then the Browns can be hamstrung.
They’d probably have to maneuver him to the 53-man roster or launch him. Letting go of Watson would put them on the hook for an unprecedented 2026 cap cost of $131 million.
In different phrases, Watson is extremely more likely to be going nowhere, a minimum of not this yr. If he did, that might all however sprint any goals of the younger Sanders lining up beneath middle on the shores of Lake Erie.
Whereas the rookie has acquired a lot of the highlight and fanfare, the primary depth chart of the season begs to vary.
In response to crew insider Mary Kay Cabot, Sanders is listed because the fourth-string QB on Cleveland’s first ‘unofficial’ depth chart of the 2025 preseason.
Flacco is known as because the starter, with Pickett and Gabriel behind him.
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The arrival of Huntley, who has a 5-9 file as a starter since arriving within the NFL 5 years in the past, additional suggests Shedeur may discover his time restricted within the coming weeks and months.
Whereas the depth chart was posted earlier than information of his signing broke, it appears he’ll leapfrog Sanders and stroll straight into competition for Friday’s sport towards the Panthers.
“New QB Tyler Huntley will make the journey to Carolina and play within the preseason opener on Friday night time (with Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Pickett nursing hamstring accidents),” Cabot wrote on Monday night time.
Sanders’ mountain to climb simply bought even larger. The hopes of the fifth rounder turning into a really feel good story this season are slim.
Though not as slim as Watson returning. Most Browns followers would all agree that the Watson period in Cleveland has been an unmitigated catastrophe.
Even the crew proprietor, Jimmy Haslem, has admitted the transfer, has not labored out
“We took an enormous swing-and-miss with Deshaun,” Haslam stated in March on the league’s annual assembly.
“We thought we had the quarterback, we did not and we gave up loads of draft picks to get him, so we have got to dig ourselves out of that gap.
“A whole group choice and it ends with Dee [Haslam] and I, so maintain us accountable.”
From sending a treasure of draft picks, together with three first-rounders to the Houston Texans in trade for Watson, to signing him to a historic totally assured, five-year, $230 million deal, and authorized drama off the sphere, it has been a nightmare.
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There’s a likelier probability that he by no means takes one other snap for the franchise than he does returning.
As for what the quarterback place holds for Cleveland this yr? It appears to be Flacco’s job to lose at this level, whereas Sanders is citing the rear.
Three weeks of preseason video games get underway this week, and something can nonetheless occur, however the Browns quarterback room is packed and 6 into 53 clearly is just not going to occur.