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The battle for the starting quarterback position with the Cleveland Browns is heating up. Right now, there are four players in the mix: the experienced Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, as well as two rookies selected in the recent Draft, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
There is a fifth quarterback, but he's injured-Deshaun Watson. He's working on recovering from the torn Achilles he suffered last year, but despite his major efforts in rehabilitation, it seems unlikely he'll be ready for the start of the season.
That situation, however, isn't alarming to anyone. Deshaun Watson has shown nothing with the Cleveland Browns, and the five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract he received in 2022 has turned into one of the biggest mistakes in franchise history-just one of many they've made.
Analyst says Watson won't play again for the Browns
Watson's QBR in 2024 was 23.5, the lowest of any quarterback since 2011. So despite his recovery efforts, there's little reason to expect he'll play again for the Browns.
Tony Rizzo of ESPN Cleveland shared his thoughts, stating that while Deshaun Watson will likely play again this year, it won't be with the Browns. There's a possibility a team might offer a late-round draft pick for the quarterback.
"I think (Deshaun) Watson is going to play sometime this year. I don't think he's out for the whole season. Now, if they put him on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list during or after training camp, that's fine. But it looks to me like he's trying to get healthy enough to come back and get a chance to play this year," Rizzo said.
"Do you think there's a team in the league that would take a chance on a guy who's been through a lot-on and off the field-but has a lot of potential and is a three-time Pro Bowler?" the ESPN analyst added.
In three seasons with the Browns, Watson has played only 19 games, thrown 19 touchdown es, and 12 interceptions. The reality is that he hasn't made an impact, and his days with the franchise appear to be numbered.