Deshaun Watson seems to be planning for life after the Cleveland Browns

September 10, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

Deshaun Watson starts at quarterback in Jacksonville on Sunday, his first regular-season appearance since October 2024 and the opening game of the final year of the fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract Cleveland handed him in March 2022.

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He has played 19 games under it, with a suspension taking most of 2022, a shoulder injury ending 2023, a torn right Achilles ending 2024, and a second tear followed by January 2025 surgery costing him all of last season.

Speaking to reporters after Wednesday’s practice in Berea, Watson framed Sunday in terms that had little to do with the Jaguars.

“Me being on the last year of my deal, being in year 10, I feel like this is my opportunity to go out there and showcase that I can still play in this league, and I want to continue to play in this league. This is my opportunity to do that.”

Jun 11, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Watson is 9-10 as a Browns starter with a passer rating of 80.7, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, and reports have it that Cleveland has spent roughly $9.6 million per start across the deal. The contract expires after this season, though the money the Browns pushed into signing bonuses and void years over six restructures follows them regardless, with more than $86 million in dead cap landing in 2027.

Todd Monken named him the starter on Aug. 24 over Shedeur Sanders, two days after Watson went 5 of 12 for 35 yards with an interception against Buffalo and called the booing he heard at Huntington Bank Field disrespectful. He apologized for that on the Monday.

#Browns QB Deshaun Watson on staying focused on the present in the final year of his contract:
“Me being on the last year of my deal, being in year 10, I feel like this is my opportunity to go out there and showcase that I can still play in this league, and I want to continue to… pic.twitter.com/iWxkfHIYqX
— Ashly Holder (@AshNoelleTV) September 9, 2026

How much rope does Watson actually have in Cleveland?

Monken has said the job is not being treated week to week. Sanders opens as the backup, Dillon Gabriel went to injured reserve, and sixth-round rookie Taylen Green is the third arm in the room. Letters to the Plain Dealer called the decision a slap in the face, fans drove past team headquarters shouting boos out of their cars, and signs objecting to it went up around Cleveland. Monken’s answer has been that the people making the noise are not in the building.

May 8, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken talks to the media after rookie minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Watson is 30, and his three Pro Bowls all came in Houston, the last of them for the 2020 season. That is the version of himself he is asking a league of 32 teams to remember on Sunday, and the version Cleveland has spent four years paying for without seeing.

“I can’t focus on the future, I’ve got to focus on now,” he said. “All I can do is control these moments now, these opportunities I have now.”