Cleveland Browns Announce Deshaun Watson Move

The Cleveland Browns have made a move with Deshaun Watson at the start of training camp.

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns officially began training camp on Wednesday, and with that, they revealed an announcement on quarterback Deshaun Watson.

The Browns have placed Watson — who is recovering from tearing his Achilles twice — on the PUP list. They also did the same with defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr., who is working his way back from a knee injury.

Watson made seven starts for Cleveland last season, throwing for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 63.4 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 79. While he still has two years remaining on his contract, it stands to reason that Watson has played his final snap for the Browns.

Cleveland initially acquired the 29-year-old in March 2022, trading a wealth of draft picks to the Houston Texans in exchange for him. The Browns then infamously handed Watson a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract extension.

Needless to say, it has not panned out for Cleveland. Watson has played in a grand total of 19 games since joining the Browns three years ago, amassing 19 passing touchdowns and 12 picks throughout that span.

Cleveland's quarterback room now features Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, who will all be competing for the starting job in camp. Whether or not either of the two rookies — Gabriel and Sanders — represent a long-term answer for the Browns remains to be seen.

Watson carries a cap hit of just under $36 million this year. That number then balloons to $80.7 million in 2026.

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