Why Browns should activate and start Deshaun Watson the rest of 2025 season

The Cleveland Browns might be faced with a tough decision at quarterback, but they might want to consider putting Deshaun Watson on the field.

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 might actually have to face a situation they were hoping they could avoid all season: Deshaun Watson actually playing in a game.

It was announced that the Browns were opening Watson's 21-day practice window, as he has been on the PUP list all season. He suffered a torn Achilles injury last year, seven games into the season, and has not been on the field since.

This season, the Browns have rotated through three quarterbacks: Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. It has been a mess at quarterback all season, which is why Cleveland might have to consider the possibility of Watson being activated and playing this season.

Looking at the numbers, there's no lying in saying that Watson's time in Cleveland has been forgettable. He's gone 9-10 as the starter in his four seasons with the team, has completed just 61% of his passes for 3,365 yards and 19 touchdowns to 12 interceptions in those starts.

While those numbers are bad, it might be part of the reason to give him one more shot at starting. He had flashes of greatness when he played for the Houston Texans with his three Pro Bowls, so it's not like it completely disappears after a run like that.

The Browns haven't had any luck with Flacco, Gabriel, or Sanders at quarterback, as all three are under 60% in completion percentage and are just 3-9 combined as starters. It was so bad that Flacco was traded away because he wasn't doing well at all.

Cleveland made a mistake in giving Watson a fully guaranteed $230 million contract, but there is one more year on that deal. They are already paying him crazy money. The Browns might as well put him out there and see if he has anything else in the tank, and give the team a boost.

Plus, there are promising signs from Sanders already, and with the offensive line so banged up, do the Browns want to put their rookie in a position where he could get hurt, like what happened with Gabriel and his concussion? The Browns can at least protect Sanders while seeing what they have in Watson.

There's a lot of criticism (and fair ones) about Watson after what he did off the field and his poor performances over the years, but the Browns invested a lot of money into him. They might as well see what they can get out of him before he inevitably departs from the team after 2026.