Story perspectives

Browns rally past Panthers 21-18 as Watson shines

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 3:06 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Browns Beat Panthers

Browns beat Panthers 21-18 when Deshaun Watson threw a 14-yard TD to Harold Fannin Jr. with 1:48 left.
Watson completed 16 of 30 passes for 144 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers.
Harold Fannin Jr. caught seven passes for 51 yards and scored both Browns touchdowns.
Cleveland improved to 2-1 and will host the Steelers on Thursday Night Football.

Summary

Berry Backs Watson

Andrew Berry publicly embraced Deshaun Watson after the win, signaling renewed confidence in the quarterback.
Owner Jimmy Haslam called the Watson trade a “big swing and miss” at the 2025 NFL owners meeting.
The Browns’ front office said Watson’s five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract signed in March 2022 remains under scrutiny.
Media referenced more than two dozen civil lawsuits from Watson’s Houston Texans tenure during post-game coverage.

History

Historical Context

On March 20 2012 the Denver Broncos signed Peyton Manning to a five-year, $96 million contract, negotiated with executive vice president John Elway. The size of that deal marked a turning point for quarterback salaries, and subsequent high-value agreements such as the Cleveland Browns’ Deshaun Watson contract have pushed the NFL to reconsider its salary-cap framework.

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Browns Beat Panthers

Browns beat Panthers 21-18 when Deshaun Watson threw a 14-yard TD to Harold Fannin Jr. with 1:48 left.
Watson completed 16 of 30 passes for 144 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers.
Harold Fannin Jr. caught seven passes for 51 yards and scored both Browns touchdowns.
Cleveland improved to 2-1 and will host the Steelers on Thursday Night Football.

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