Haslam: Deshaun Watson has 'great chance' to be Browns' starter - ESPN

PHOENIX — One year after calling the trade for Deshaun Watson a «big swing-and-miss,» Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam on Monday told a group of local reporters at the NFL's league meetings that Watson has a «great chance» and a «fresh start» with first-year coach Todd Monken.

Haslam's comments last year came in the aftermath of Watson's season-ending Achilles tear in October 2024, which marked the second consecutive season that he suffered a season-ending injury (he had season-ending shoulder surgery in November 2023). Watson missed the entirety of the 2025 season after he re-tore his Achilles and underwent a second surgery in January 2025. But the 30-year-old is now healthy and expected to compete with Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel to be the Browns' starting quarterback.

«Deshaun has a great chance, fresh start, offensive-minded coach, who has in his past been able to work with all kinds of different quarterbacks and make them successful,» Haslam said. «So, Deshaun has a great chance to do that now. We talked to him the other day, he said he weighs the [least] he has in several years. He's in great shape, he'll be [in Cleveland] on April 7 when we start [the offseason workout program]. Let's see what Deshaun can do. We're all excited.»

Suspension and injures have limited Watson, a three-time Pro Bowler with the Houston Texans, to just 19 games since the Browns traded three first-round picks and gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million in March 2022. Since joining Cleveland, his 33.1 Total QBR would rank last among qualifying passers. The Browns will pay Watson a $46 million salary in 2026 but recently restructured his contract to lower what was set to be an NFL-high $80.7 million cap hit this upcoming season.

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