Potential Browns quarterback option in 2026 fell into their laps

After a simple restructuring of his contract with his current team, the Cleveland Browns might have another option at quarterback in the offseason.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While the Cleveland Browns are just trying to find a head coach for the 2026 season after firing Kevin Stefanski, an interesting opportunity opened up at quarterback.

The Browns currently have Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel on the roster at quarterback, with all three expected to be back for the moment. Browns general manager Andrew Berry did not commit to Sanders being the starter in the future, so that could leave some room for a new quarterback to enter the picture.

One option for the Browns could be Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins after ESPN's Field Yates reported that the two sides have agreed on a restructured deal. Some parts of the restructured deal include a reduced base salary from $35 million to $2.1 million for 2026 and a "guarantee in the amount of $67.9 million for the 2027 season that vests March 13."

The Falcons and Kirk Cousins recently agreed to a modified final two years of his contract, setting March 13th up as a date to make a decision on the QB's future with the franchise by.

Details: https://t.co/YGmmbYApml

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 6, 2026

This leaves the Falcons with a few options, as Yates stated in his article that salary cap experts believe the best financial move for Atlanta would be to release Cousins before March 13 via the post-June 1 release date to split the high dead cap money. Cousins could also impact what happens as he decides what to do with his future, as he has talked about continuing to play.

During his 14-year career, Cousins has made four Pro Bowls, one with the Washington Commanders and three with the Minnesota Vikings. Over the last two years, he's been inconsistent with the Falcons, going 12-10 as the starter with 28 touchdowns to 21 interceptions.

The Browns would initially be like every other NFL team and avoid doing anything with Cousins, given his contract's expense, but this completely changes everything. Cleveland wouldn't make a trade for Cousins unless they were solid on the second year being as low as the 2026 salary of $2.1 million.

This would give Cleveland a more consistent veteran in the building after Watson, who played in just 19 games in his four seasons with the team. It would be an excellent boost for Sanders and Gabriel to either learn behind Cousins or compete for the starting job.

A lot of this will depend on who the new head coach is, as he will make the final decision after evaluating the quarterback position. It was initially seen as there wouldn't be many options out there, but Cousins completely opens it up, with possibly one of the top picks to be the quarterback for the Browns.