The ongoing saga of former Houston Texans franchise quarterback and first-round draft pick Deshaun Watson is taking another turn. Unlike many in recent memory, this one bodes well for the Cleveland Browns QB. Watson remains on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, recovering from a re-ruptured Achilles tendon that required surgery in January. He also remains tied to the Browns through 2026, but the latest update will have a more immediate impact. Ex-Texans QB Deshaun Watson Taking Major Next Step With Browns Now in his third season with the Browns, who acquired him from the Texans in a blockbuster trade in 2022, Watson has appeared in 19 games since due to injuries. He has essentially been documenting his recovery process through a series of social media posts. The Browns have remained non-committal to Watson returning this season, with significant financial implications at play. However, he is healthy enough that he could force their hand. “Deshaun Watson will make his first road trip of the season and be on the sideline helping Shedeur Sanders in his NFL starting debut here against the Raiders, a league source tells cleveland. com,” Cleveland. com’s Mary Kay Cabot wrote on November 22. “There’s some thought in the organization to waiting until the offseason program in April to let Watson start practicing, but he’s coming along well enough that they might open the window soon. “The Browns fully expect Watson to be on the team in 2026, the final year of his contract.” Watson, 30, is 9-10 as the Browns’ starter, completing 61. 2% of his passes for 3, 365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He is on a five-year, $230 million contract that has been reworked multiple times in pursuit of cap relief. Blockbuster Trade Working Out Differently for Browns, Texans Texans general manager Nick Caserio drew praise for the Watson trade after the Dallas Cowboys dealt Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for a package including Kenny Clark. “Texans G. M. Nick Caserio worked the situation masterfully,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote in September, “creating a four-team competition between the Saints, Panthers, Falcons, and Browns that allowed Caserio to name his price to each of them before they were allowed to even talk to Watson.” Browns owner Jimmy Haslam delivered a much different message about the deal. “We took a big swing-and-miss with Deshaun,” Haslam said in March, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. “We thought we had the quarterback; we didn’t. And we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him, so we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.” The Browns had a first-round pick in 2025. It was the first time since the Watson trade with the Texans. They selected defensive tackle Mason Graham fifth overall. Haslam said that the decision to trade for Watson in 2022 was made by the “entire organization,” which former chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta also noted. However, he also said that “it ends with Dee [Haslam] and I, so hold us accountable.” Deshaun Watson Mentoring Browns’ QBs Watson’s apparent relationship with the Browns did not permeate; QBs coach Bill Musgrave praised the former Texans passer for mentoring rookies Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. Musgrave said they “miss” Watson being on road trips. “Deshaun went on the trip with us down to Charlotte to get his Achilles looked at. But otherwise, he hasn’t been on the road,” Musgrave told reporters in October. “It’s great to have his presence on the sideline for our young group.” The Browns would incur more than $80 million in dead cap charges if they cut Watson during the 2026 offseason. The most logical solution could indeed be for him to stick around in 2026. Watson could rehab his on-field image, and the ex-Texans QB can mentor a rookie QB.
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