Deshaun Watson’s days as a Cleveland Brown may be numbered as one NFL insider has reported that he may have already played his last down for the team. 

The controversial quarterback’s future was already in doubt after his dismal play since arriving from Houston in 2022 alongside a fully guaranteed five-year, $230million deal. 

The Browns hold the No 2 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft and are expected to stay put and draft either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders at the position, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. 

The team’s preference between Sanders and Ward has not been made public, but they are reportedly fine with taking either. 

Watson is already likely to miss all of the 2025 season with an Achilles injury, only creating a logjam at signal caller next year. 

It is unlikely Watson would usurp a younger player at that time when he gets healthy. Releasing Watson would cost the team tons of money, making it more worth it for him to sit on Cleveland’s bench instead of doing nothing for the Browns. 

Watson’s days as a Cleveland Brown may be numbered as the team looks to move forward

The Browns are reportedly set on staying put at No 2 in the NFL Draft and taking a quarterback

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The Browns know they can’t win at a high level without an elite quarterback, and Watson has not played to the level of the money he is earning since 2020. 

Cleveland betting on a dormant Watson once again becoming one of the best in the league appears to be a bet it’s not willing to take. 

Watson is now in quarterback purgatory, as he cannot look to play elsewhere until his contract is up, and no team is likely to trade for him with that price tag. 

The Browns retaining Watson and drafting either Ward or Sanders does not complete their quarterback room for 2025. 

The team also appears to be in the market for a veteran backup should Cleveland follow through and take a signal caller in the NFL Draft. 

Three names being discussed, per ESPN, are Daniel Jones, Kirk Cousins, and Carson Wentz.