Deshaun Watson has done just about everything the Browns could have asked for through seven weeks, and the way Cleveland has rolled with him leaves the next question hanging right in the middle of the season: what happens when this deal runs out?
Watson has led the NFL in game-winning drives with five, and the Browns can keep pushing forward with him at quarterback. A division title and a playoff run are on the table.
If that happens, a new contract would be the natural outcome. Even if Watson were to get hurt and miss the rest of the season, Cleveland has already seen enough to likely pay him anyway.
At this point, a new deal feels like the most likely path.
There’s also the bigger-picture reality around Watson himself. He’s 31, and his injury history is a real factor any team would have to weigh before handing over another major contract. His current five-year deal is set to expire after the 2026 season, so the Browns are staring at a major decision sooner rather than later.
The quarterback picture gets even more complicated because Shedeur Sanders is waiting behind him. If Cleveland does decide to move on from Watson, Sanders is in line to be the next man up. That raises the obvious question: when was the last time the Browns had a chance to let a quarterback grow behind someone who is actually winning games?
Sanders would have time to learn the system before his turn arrives, unless he decides the wait is too long and looks for another chance somewhere else.
There’s another route Cleveland could take, too. The Browns could draft a quarterback, let that player develop behind Watson for a year, and then trade Sanders. That may be the cleanest option if the team wants to keep building at the position without forcing Sanders into the picture immediately.
And if Sanders is the one on the outside looking in, there may be another team ready to make a move. The possibility exists that someone has been watching from afar and would be willing to put together a solid package for the young quarterback.
In Other News...
Browns Fans Have A Real Beef With How The League Treated Steelers Week
The AFC North is suddenly looking every bit like the leagues most compelling division race, with the Browns and Steelers both sitting at 5-2 after Week 7 and Cincinnati right there after a win of its own. Clevelands next meeting with Pittsburgh had enough juice for the NFL to at least consider moving it into a prime-time spotlight, especially with both teams playing meaningful football this early in the season.
Instead, the league kept Eagles-Commanders in the Sunday night window, leaving Browns fans to wonder why a showdown with real division stakes did not get the extra stage. Cleveland still has plenty to play for, and Deshaun Watsons knack for late-game drives has been a major reason why, with five game-winning marches already this season. The issue now is not whether the Browns belong in the conversation, but whether the schedule makers saw the matchup the same way the standings do. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Set Up A Huge Steelers Showdown With First Place At Stake
The Browns Week 7 win over the Titans kept them in a familiar place for this point in October, sitting atop the AFC North at 5-2 and putting the division race squarely on their next game. Around them, the playoff picture in the AFC is already tightening, and the standings only sharpen the importance of every head-to-head matchup inside the division.
Pittsburgh now waits in Week 8 for a rematch that carries first place on the line, which is exactly the kind of late-October game that starts to tell you who is for real. The bigger league-wide backdrop is just as interesting, with both the AFC North and NFC North featuring all four teams above .500, a reminder that the division race in Cleveland is unfolding inside one of the NFLs deepest neighborhoods. [Read more 🡒]
Deshaun Watson May Have Finally Changed What Was Holding Browns Back
Deshaun Watsons most encouraging afternoon of the season may have been less about the box score than the way it looked while it was happening. In the Browns win over the Titans, Watson completed 70 percent of his passes on a season-high 36 attempts, and the bigger takeaway was the way he played within the offense. He looked more decisive, got rid of the ball faster and helped Cleveland find a rhythm that had been missing for much of the year.
The adjustment appears to have started after that rough first half in Week 6, when the offense seemed to hit a wall. Since then, Watson has leaned more on the passing game and less on his legs, a shift that has fit better under Todd Monken and made Clevelands attack look far more functional. The question now is whether this was a one-game reset or the start of a real change in how the Browns want to move forward. [Read more 🡒]