Deshaun Watson Fantasy Stats

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) was the first QB up in both team and individual drills on Wednesday during the team's second OTA practice, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Shedeur Sanders was second in individual drills, followed by Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green. In team drills, Gabriel was second behind Watson with the first-team offense, while Sanders mostly worked with the second team. The 30-year-old Watson looks to be fully recovered from a twice-torn Achilles tendon that kept him out for all of the 2025 campaign. He will be competing primarily with Sanders for the starting gig under center in 2026, although offseason reports have suggested that Watson is in the unofficial lead, primarily because he's made 72 starts in the NFL and is a three-time Pro Bowler. A report surfaced earlier this week that Watson and new head coach Todd Monken have hit it off, which insinuates that the Browns are leaning toward naming Watson as their starter eventually. Although Watson looked like a future star with the Houston Texans earlier in his career, he's been a massive bust in Cleveland and won't be much more than a low-end QB2 in superflex leagues if he wins the starting QB job over Sanders.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler was told that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) has "hit it off" with new head coach Todd Monken, "who's got an offensive concept, some elements that Watson has run in the past and been his best at." Although second-year QB Shedeur Sanders is the better long-term option for the Browns under center, offseason reports favoring Watson continue to emerge. The Browns aren't tipping their hand at all as to whether Watson or Sanders has the lead in the offseason QB competition, but as long as he's recovered from a twice-torn Achilles tendon that kept him on the sidelines for all of 2025, the 30-year-old Watson appears to have the current edge over Sanders. Since signing a five-year, $230 million deal with the Browns in March of 2022, Watson has only started 19 games and completed 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. However, he has the momentum with a new coaching staff and has reportedly recovered nicely from his Achilles injury suffered in 2024. In RotoBaller's 2026 QB rankings, Watson sits at No. 32, with Sanders at No. 34, so neither signal-caller will be much of an option for fantasy managers in traditional single-QB leagues in 2026.

Cleveland Browns executive vice president JW Johnson said on ESPN that quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) "looks great by the way, he's done a great job, he looks healthy, he's in a great head space." The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mark Kay Cabot writes that Watson emerged from the team's voluntary minicamp last week with an edge over second-year QB Shedeur Sanders in the two-man QB competition this offseason. According to sources, Watson has the "inside track" to be named the team's QB1. Head coach Todd Monken is hoping to name his starter under center by the end of the Browns' minicamp that runs from June 9-11. There's still a lot of time between then, but Sanders, a fifth-rounder in 2025, has "plenty of ground to make up." Sanders will really have to impress the Browns' coaching staff to make things more interesting going into training camp this summer. Watson missed the entire 2025 season after twice tearing his Achilles, but he's made great progress and appears to be fully healthy. The 30-year-old isn't expected to stay in Cleveland beyond the 2026 season, but he might give the Browns the best chance to win immediately, and he definitely has much more experience than Sanders. If he wins the QB1 job, Watson will be a low-end QB2 in fantasy as he looks to be the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) has gone first in most of the early drills during the team's offseason program over second-year QB Shedeur Sanders, and Watson's arm and agility "look good," according to Mark Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Although Watson has not played since October of 2024 due to a twice-torn Achilles tendon, owner Jimmy Haslam said at the owners' meetings in late March that the 30-year-old signal-caller has a "great chance" to compete for the starting QB gig in 2026. Watson is heading into the final year of a five-year, $230 million deal that he signed with Cleveland in 2022. There have been conflicting reports about who is the favorite to win the starting QB job this summer between Watson and Sanders. Watson probably doesn't have a future with the Browns beyond the 2026 campaign, but if he's fully healthy, he has way more experience than Sanders and could give the team's offense a higher ceiling. At best in fantasy football, Watson will be a low-end QB2 with a lot to prove in superflex leagues if he wins the starting job.

The Athletic's Zac Jackson said that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles), who hasn't played since October of 2024 due to a twice-torn right Achilles tendon, has "been medically cleared for competition." The Browns have put a positive spin on Watson's recovery all offseason and will give him the chance to compete with Shedeur Sanders for the starting job this summer. Sanders, a fifth-rounder last year, started the final seven games of last season and was predictably erratic, although he did show signs of being an explosive playmaker at QB. Jackson adds that Sanders "seems most likely to get the first crack at the starting job and operate as the No. 1" early in spring workouts. However, new head coach Todd Monken continues to stress that "nothing is settled." Watson has the better resume (a three-time Pro Bowler), but he's also 30 years old and is coming off a serious injury. And with Watson's contract expiring after 2026, "logic says" the Browns should prefer the younger option in Sanders. Whoever wins the job this summer will merely be a low-end QB2 option in superflex fantasy football leagues.

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam told a group of local reporters at the league meetings this week that quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) has a "great chance" and a "fresh start" with new head coach Todd Monken, according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. It comes a year after Haslam called the team's trade for Watson a "big swing-and-miss." The Browns gave the 30-year-old a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million deal back in March of 2022, and the three-time Pro Bowler has only played in 19 games for the team, completing just 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. The Browns could add QB competition through the draft, but as of now, all signs are pointing to Watson having the edge over Shedeur Sanders for the starting job entering the 2026 season. Watson hasn't played in an NFL game since 2024 due to a torn Achilles that required multiple surgeries. His fantasy stock in dynasty leagues is on the rise, but nothing is set in stone, and the former first overall pick in 2017 out of Clemson has a lot to prove.

The NFL Network's Mike Garafolo thinks that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) is in the "pole position" to be the team's starter for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season. Shedeur Sanders finished his rookie season as the Browns' starter under center, but he was very inconsistent down the stretch and has plenty to prove after dropping into the fifth round in the 2025 NFL draft. On the flip side, Watson, 30, missed all of last year while recovering from multiple surgeries to fix a torn Achilles tendon. Due to injury and suspension, the three-time Pro Bowler has played in just 19 games since he joined Cleveland in 2022. Watson will be competing with Sanders in training camp this summer, but there's still the possibility the Browns add another signal-caller in the draft or via trade/free agency. If Watson were to enter training camp fully healthy and win the starting job outright, he'd be a low-end QB2 with upside and plenty to prove to fantasy managers.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) hasn't played a snap since the middle of the 2024 season, but it appears that he could get back on the fantasy football radar soon. Watson should be healthy (or at least near full health) ahead of the 2026 campaign, giving him a real chance to win the Browns' starting quarterback job. Not only does Watson have the best career stats among the Browns' quarterback room, but he also comes with the largest investment. Cleveland flipped three first-round picks for Watson, whereas Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders were merely Day 2 or 3 selections. Neither Gabriel nor Sanders, both of whom started games in 2025, put together very encouraging stat lines. Watson wasn't great when he last played, either, going 1-6 with 1,148 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. However, his experience, track record, and investment likely make him the favorite to start at quarterback in Week 1, if he's healthy. With a talented, young group of skill players around him -- plus an improved offensive line in front of him -- Watson could sneakily become a fantasy option in deeper leagues. At worst, he has top-24 upside at the quarterback position in 2026.

The Cleveland Browns restructured quarterback Deshaun Watson's contract on Friday to ease his $80.716 million salary cap charge in 2026, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Browns are converting up to $44.745 million of his $46 million base salary into a signing bonus, leaving him with the veteran minimum of $1.255 million for this year. The move is expected to free up around $36 million in cap space. Cleveland is also expected to restructure the contracts of other players, including Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward. The 30-year-old Watson is heading into the final year of the five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract that he signed back in 2022. Watson did not play at all in 2025 after having two surgeries to fix a torn Achilles he suffered in 2024. He's expected to compete for the starting QB job in 2026 with Shedeur Sanders, but the Browns are expected to bring in more competition via free agency. There's no guarantee Watson ever takes another snap with the Browns.

The Cleveland Browns "believe" that quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) will compete with Shedeur Sanders for the starting role ahead of the 2026 season, according to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. Watson started throwing again this past week, and he's expected to be a real factor in the Browns' quarterback competition this summer. Watson last suited up in 2024 when he went 1-6 across seven games with 1,148 passing yards, six total touchdowns, and six turnovers. Meanwhile, Sanders is coming off a rookie season in which he tallied 1,400 passing yards, eight total touchdowns, and 11 turnovers across eight games (seven starts). Neither quarterback has played particularly strong football in the NFL recently, but nevertheless, it sounds like the Browns feel comfortable with one of those two quarterbacks being their starter next year. In fact, Wolfe adds that Cleveland wants to use one or both of its first-round picks on offensive weapons but doesn't expect to draft a quarterback in the first round.