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NFL - The Athletic fantasy football takes on Deshaun Watson
Every source-backed article insight STACKED has extracted from NFL - The Athletic about Deshaun Watson.
16
Insights
0
Positive
11
Negative
Insight ledger
All NFL - The Athletic insights about Deshaun Watson
NegativeRoleAug 18, 2026
Watson's success this season will likely depend on the playmakers around him rather than his own performance; the source frames quarterback success as contingent on supporting cast quality.NegativeRoleAug 12, 2026
Watson will start the first preseason game for Cleveland as the quarterback competition with Shedeur Sanders continues.NegativeRoleAug 4, 2026
Most assume Watson and Shedeur Sanders will both start at various points. A coach noted that new coach Todd Monken's offense, which emphasizes reading the whole field over reading coverages, is better suited for both Watson and Sanders.NegativeProjectionAug 4, 2026
Watson ranks 59th among 60 quarterbacks to start at least 10 games since the Browns acquired him in 2022 in EPA per pass play. An offensive coach said he cannot suddenly regain drive, desire, and processing skills, placing him in Tier 5. Watson has started only 19 games for Cleveland since acquisition, missing 11 games to suspension in 2022, undergoing shoulder surgery in 2023, and suffering a torn Achilles tendon in 2024 that re-tore during rehab. At 31 in September, he should be in his prime but faces durability and performance questions.NegativeInjuryAug 4, 2026
Deshaun Watson did not play in 2025 and was rated as a Tier 3 quarterback in 2024, indicating a decline in his standing due to his absence from the field.NegativeRoleJul 29, 2026
The source suggests Deshaun Watson loses the quarterback competition to Shedeur Sanders, indicating he will not be the starting quarterback for the Browns despite being on the roster.NegativeRoleJul 29, 2026
The source suggests Deshaun Watson loses the quarterback competition to Shedeur Sanders, indicating he will not be the starting quarterback for the Browns despite the team's roster reshaping efforts.NegativeRoleJul 29, 2026
The source suggests Deshaun Watson loses the quarterback competition to Shedeur Sanders, indicating he will not be the starting quarterback for the Browns despite the team's roster improvements.NegativeRoleJul 29, 2026
The source suggests Deshaun Watson loses the quarterback competition to Shedeur Sanders, indicating he will not be the starter for the Browns despite being on the roster.NegativeRoleJul 29, 2026
The source suggests Deshaun Watson loses the quarterback competition to Shedeur Sanders, implying Watson will not be the starting quarterback for the Browns despite the team's roster improvements.NegativeProjectionNo date
Watson's $230 million contract has become the heaviest anchor on the Browns franchise, turning into injuries, allegations, and disappointments that forced the team to trade away Myles Garrett. The source describes this as 'the collateral damage of the Deshaun Watson debacle' and notes that Watson's three seasons with Cleveland were 'a complete disaster.' Despite these failures, the Browns are signaling Watson is likely to start in 2026, though the team continues to search for a franchise quarterback by acquiring additional first-round draft capital.NegativeProjectionNo date
Watson is competing this spring with second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders for the starting job. After the Browns gave up first-round picks from 2022 through 2024 in a 2022 trade, Watson has won just nine starts in a Cleveland uniform. Watson is still under contract for one more season and the Browns still have around $80 million in salary-cap commitments to him after this season, yet the team's search for a long-term answer at quarterback could resume next spring.NegativeRoleNo date
The source indicates the Browns do not believe Watson is the long-term solution; the Garrett trade signals the franchise's lack of confidence in Watson's ability to lead a contention window, with the source noting that if the Browns truly believed Watson was the answer, there would have been no reason to make this deal.NegativeRoleNo date
Competing for the Browns' starting quarterback role in preseason Week 3 on Aug. 27, when the defending AFC champion New England Patriots visit Cleveland, alongside Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.NegativeProjectionNo date
Browns are entering the final season of Watson's $230 million contract. The source expresses no confidence in Watson's future with the team, stating 'There's clearly no future with Watson' and arguing the Browns should have moved on from him based on performance. Watson's 11-game suspension (increased from initial 6-game ruling) serves as a cautionary precedent for unpredictable NFL personal conduct enforcement.NegativeProjectionNo date
The Browns quarterback's career trajectory under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken is a key variable in the team's offseason outlook; the source notes that if Monken can revive Watson's career, the Browns could be competitive, with early returns described as encouraging despite the team's overall youth outside the quarterback position.