The Cleveland Browns are expected to part ways with Deshaun Watson following the season.
The Browns made a bold move to acquire Watson from the Houston Texans to be their franchise quarterback. Yet, he has struggled with play and has had a plethora of injuries, which has made the trade an epic failure.
Although Watson could make a comeback later this year, Browns insider Zac Jackson expects Cleveland to cut the veteran quarterback this offseason.
“The Browns seem headed for a second straight three-win season. And Watson’s current salary-cap number for 2026 is $80.7 million, per Over the Cap,” Jackson wrote. “With the only real alternative being to continue to restructure the deal, keep Watson on the team and push big cap hits even further to the future to basically halve the 2026 number.
“It seems inevitable that the Browns will officially cut ties with a post-June 1 designation early next year. Which would put his dead-money number for 2026 in the range of $70 million to $80 million after whatever insurance credit the team receives.”
Although the Browns could have an entirely new front office, Jackson expects whoever is running the team to cut Watson as their first move.
“It’s important to note here that we’re projecting well into the future and don’t yet know if the folks currently in charge of the Browns’ football operations will still be in those roles ahead of next season,” Jackson wrote. …
“With the Browns still on the hook for around $135 million to Watson after this year, going the post-June 1 cut route would then leave around $50 million for 2027. The current structure of the deal calls for Watson to be on the team’s cap through 2029.”
Although Watson has been posting updates on his rehab, the Browns haven’t been putting much thought into his comeback.
Ahead of the Browns’ Week 11 home game against the Baltimore Ravens, Stefanski didn’t have an update on Watson’s future or if he will have his 21-day practice window activated.
“I don’t have an update there,” Stefanski said on Wednesday.
With the Browns not giving an update on Watson, Jackson believes that does signal the veteran will be cut this offseason.
“Watson might be cleared to return to practice soon,” Jackson added. “But actually putting him on the field this year would mean the Browns are just reminding themselves again of how they got here. And how their Band-Aid attempts haven’t worked. It’s probably best to formally cut him next year and move on with something like the rookie-heavy strategy.”
Watson suffered a setback to his Achilles in January, which has kept him out.
Yet, Watson has shown himself working out, and he took to Instagram to share a cryptic message about his future.
“Had to walk a lot of miles to get here,” – Browns QB Deshaun Watson gives an update on his rehab.
Do you think Watson will play for the Browns this season?
“Be READY! MoreGLORY,” Watson wrote in a post showing him throwing and training.
Watson also posted it on his story with the caption, “Had to walk a lot of miles to get here.”
The quarterback is in the midst of his five-year, $230 million deal he signed with the Browns.
The Pittsburgh Steelers made waves in the 2025 offseason when it was revealed that Aaron Rodgers would finally be joining the team. There were split opinions on how much impact he would or could have in Pittsburgh. So far in the 2025 season, Rodgers has thrown for 1,853 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. He’s completed 66.8% of his passes, and the Steelers are currently 5-4.
On Thursday during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, former two-time Steelers Super Bowl champion Chris Hoke weighed in on Rodgers’ struggles. Hoke suggested that the team’s patience with Rodgers might be wearing thin and hinted that the leash for the veteran quarterback could be shorter than many expected. He didn’t shy away from the controversial idea that it might soon be time for Mason Rudolph to take the helm, especially if Rodgers continues to underperform or fails to meet the lofty expectations placed on him when he arrived in Pittsburgh.
“I think Mason [Rudolph] could go out there and run that offense very, very well. So possibly,” Hoke said on the 93.7 The Fan show on Thursday. “If Aaron Rodgers plays like he played on Sunday night, absolutely. But Aaron also has played really well this year, so what Aaron Rodgers are we gonna get this Sunday against the Bengals? I think the next two, three weeks is gonna tell. If he plays like he played on Sunday night, I think you gotta make the switch.”
Hoke’s comments have added fuel to the ongoing debate about Rodgers’ future with the Steelers. While some fans and analysts argue that Rodgers’ poor performances are outliers in an otherwise solid 2025 season, others point to his age and recent inconsistency as warning signs.
The Steelers now face a delicate balancing act: deciding whether to stick with a future Hall of Famer trying to rediscover his form or to start planning for the possibility of a transition to Rudolph.
The next few games could prove pivotal in determining which path Pittsburgh ultimately chooses. However, it doesn’t seem likely that Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin would entertain a change.
Tomlin clearly has a lot of love and respect for Rodgers, and the mutual respect between the two gives them confidence that they can figure things out. At times during the 2025 season, they have managed to get the offense clicking. Now it is on the Steelers to turn the tide and get consistent results.
Rodgers is unlikely to be benched under any circumstances, largely due to how Tomlin operates. Remember, he did not bench Russell Wilson during the losing streak in the 2024 season. Tomlin holds Rodgers in even higher regard.
While Hoke’s take is interesting, it is not expected to become reality. Rudolph has repeatedly proven himself as a backup during his career outside of Pittsburgh, and there is little indication he will take over in the Steel City. For better or worse, this is Rodgers’ team, and the franchise is committed to him leading the offense.
Based on Chris Hoke’s comments, do you think the Steelers should switch to Mason Rudolph if Aaron Rodgers struggles again? Why or why not?