FanSided’s new quarterback poll says the Browns’ Deshaun Watson belongs at No. 42, and that number feels a little too harsh when you stack him against some of the names sitting ahead of him.
The network polled 50 experts and ranked every active NFL quarterback into tiers, from Buffalo’s Josh Allen at No. 1 all the way down to Baltimore backup Joe Fagnano at No. 93. Cleveland had four quarterbacks land outside the top 32, but Watson’s spot drew the sharpest pushback because several passers ranked above him have a weaker case.
Marcus Mariota came in at No. 38, and that’s one place Watson should not be trailing him. Mariota is now on his fifth team, owns a career record that’s 10 games under .500, and has had only one season with a QB rating above 100, when he played three games for the Commanders in 2024. Watson’s play in Cleveland has earned plenty of criticism, but he also worked back from a twice-torn Achilles tendon and kept showing up for a fan base that mostly despises him.
Jacoby Brissett was slotted at No. 35 after a 2025 stretch that looked productive on the surface. He filled in for Kyler Murray, threw for more than 3,300 yards and 23 touchdowns in 12 starts, but the full picture was rough: 43 sacks and a 1-11 record. That kind of season can make him a useful veteran presence, but ranking him a full tier above Watson feels off.
Michael Penix Jr. landed at No. 34, despite having only 12 career starts. Those games produced four wins and a completion percentage under 60.
The source material also notes that Kevin Stefanski will try to help kickstart Penix’s pro career in Atlanta, which is described as objectively hilarious. Even with Browns fans ready to move on from Watson, the case for Penix over him just isn’t there.
Geno Smith checked in at No. 32, and the gap there looks even stranger. Smith is five years older than Watson and had a rough 2025 with the Raiders, going 2-13 as a starter while nearly matching his touchdown total, 19, with interceptions, 17.
He was also sacked 55 times in 15 starts. That’s not the profile of a quarterback who should be 10 spots ahead of Watson.
Kirk Cousins was the first quarterback in the group who feels closer to Watson’s actual range, landing at No. 29.
The article calls him one of the most overrated players on the list, but also gives him credit for having the highest floor among the quarterbacks mentioned. At 38, and coming off his own Achilles injury, he can barely move and has no real ceiling left.
Still, that’s where Watson belongs: near the bottom of the top 32, not buried beneath quarterbacks who have less to offer right now.
That fit also explains why Todd Monken chose Watson over Shedeur Sanders to be the Week 1 starter. Watson doesn’t bring Sanders’ downfield big-play ability, but he is expected to keep Cleveland in the right play, protect the football, and do enough to give the team a chance each week.
The frustration around Watson is understandable. But FanSided’s poll leaned too hard on offseason narratives and went overboard.
In Other News...
Browns Linked To Unexpected QB Move That Would Shake Up Depth Chart
The Browns quarterback picture has already been murky with Deshaun Watson entrenched as the starter and Dillon Gabriel currently on injured reserve, but a new speculative idea from Bleacher Report would make it even more interesting. In the mock deal, Cleveland would go after Tua Tagovailoa in a trade with the Falcons, sending Gabriel and a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick the other way, a proposal that immediately stands out because it would alter the depth chart in a hurry.
It is the kind of thought experiment that gets attention precisely because it is not rooted in anything confirmed, but it does force a look at how Cleveland wants to handle the position going forward. Trading for Tagovailoa would signal a major shift in how the Browns are thinking about their quarterback room, and even as a hypothetical, it underscores how unsettled the situation still feels behind Watson. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Just Added Backfield Depth That Could Matter Faster Than Expected
Clevelands practice squad took on a little more relevance with the addition of running back Jaleel McLaughlin, a familiar NFL name who was recently released by the Broncos. For a Browns team still shaping its backfield hierarchy, the move gives the club another experienced option in a room that already includes Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson and Raheim Sanders, while also rounding out the kind of depth every offense needs once the season starts grinding forward.
McLaughlin lands in a spot where opportunities can open quickly if the Browns need a call-up or a different look behind the top backs. Practice squad additions are often filed away as housekeeping, but this one carries a little more intrigue because of where Cleveland is at in building out its running game and how fast a backup can become part of the conversation when injuries or game-day needs change. [Read more 🡒]
Browns QB Chaos Just Fueled A Veteran Trade Debate
With Deshaun Watson still listed as the starter and Dillon Gabriel already on injured reserve, the Browns quarterback room has become the kind of unsettled situation that naturally invites outside ideas. One recent mock-trade concept pushed that uncertainty even further, floating a scenario in which Cleveland would send Gabriel and a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick to Atlanta for Tua Tagovailoa.
It is purely a thought experiment, not a confirmed report, but it taps into the bigger conversation around how Cleveland should handle its long-running QB uncertainty. For a team that has spent plenty of time trying to stabilize the position, even an off-the-wall proposal like this lands because it speaks to a very real need for answers, and the next move remains anything but settled. [Read more 🡒]