The Cleveland Browns' quarterback situation with Deshaun Watson is the textbook example of living out the sunk-cost fallacy. The Browns put a lot of effort and money into landing the three-time Pro Bowler, and they certainly have 230 million reasons to keep him as QB1. However, there comes a time when you can't ignore what your eyes tell you: Watson is not the answer in Cleveland.
But with a 0-1 start in the 2026 season, a poor showing at the Jacksonville Jaguars, and ex-quarterback Baker Mayfield on deck in Week 2, it begs the question: What are the Browns getting at here? With their quarterback situation so clearly in disarray, what is their plan moving forward? Cleveland paved the way for Watson in 2022 by trading away the 2018 first-overall pick, quarterback Baker Mayfield, to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a 2024 conditional fifth-round pick.
They then sent the Houston Texans a trade package highlighted by three first-round picks for the then-three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Watson. Despite his lengthy off-field legal issues, Cleveland also made Watson the recipient of the most guaranteed money on a single contract in NFL history: a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million extension. Fast forward to Week 2 of the 2026 season, and the Browns are rolling with Watson as their starting quarterback despite his performance as one of the league's two worst quarterbacks (by multiple efficiency metrics) during his Cleveland career.
In Week 1 road defeat against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Watson absorbed five sacks, threw an easy interception and had the Browns trailing 31-0 at one point. Watson's teammates have clearly had it with him. When asked if he likes the continuity at the Browns quarterback position, safety Ronnie Hickman simply told reporters, "That's above my pay grade." First-year head coach Todd Monken firmly backs the decision to keep Watson starting despite all the on-field and off-field evidence that he shouldn't.
"Really, to be honest, [the players in the locker room] don't have a choice," Monken said on Monday. "This isn't a debate. ... Our job is to put the best player on the field that we think gives us the best chance to win." Expected points added (EPA) per dropback * Only Zach Wilson ranks worse ** Only Cam Ward ranks worse*** Only Justin Fields ranks worse Now, they're set to face Mayfield, who has led the Buccaneers to two NFC South division titles in three full seasons in Tampa Bay and just re-signed with the franchise on a three-year, $165 million contract with $120 million guaranteed.
In his Browns career, he produced the most wins (29), passing yards (14,125) and passing touchdowns (92) by a Cleveland quarterback since Bernie Kosar (1985-1993). Mayfield is also one of three Cleveland quarterbacks with a playoff win since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, along with Kosar and Vinny Testaverde. Since departing Cleveland in 2022, he's thrown for the seventh-most passing yards (14,616) and the fifth-most passing touchdowns (105) in the entire NFL.
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