Story perspectives

Browns Keep Deshaun Watson Starter, No QB Trade Planned

By Drooid · Oct 5, 2026, 3:05 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The Cleveland Browns kept Deshaun Watson (quarterback) as starter after three straight wins.
Watson guided the Browns to a 3-1 start, tying for first in the AFC North.
He is under a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract that can be cut before March 13 2027 with an $86.2 million dead-cap hit.
The Browns have no plans to trade any quarterback before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.

History

Historical Context

In July 2020 the Kansas City Chiefs locked quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a ten-year, $503 million extension, the biggest deal in professional sports at the time, overtaking Mike Trout’s $426.5 million contract. The pact followed Mahomes’ 2019 MVP season and Super Bowl LIV win, cementing a league-wide shift toward fully guaranteed, long-term quarterback deals that force teams to balance cap flexibility with elite production.

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Story summary

The Cleveland Browns kept Deshaun Watson (quarterback) as starter after three straight wins.
Watson guided the Browns to a 3-1 start, tying for first in the AFC North.
He is under a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract that can be cut before March 13 2027 with an $86.2 million dead-cap hit.
The Browns have no plans to trade any quarterback before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.

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