Deshaun Watson is officially back under center for the Cleveland Browns, stepping in as the starting quarterback for this Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans. Browns head coach Todd Monken delivered the news on Wednesday, ending the suspense that had hung over the NFL since last Sunday evening. It’s a move that makes total sense given Watson led the team to a solid 5-3 record before he sat out last week’s overtime heartbreaker against the New Orleans Saints due to a concussion.
Monken’s Puzzling Announcement and Watson’s Present Role
Monken, in his first year in Cleveland, seemed genuinely baffled by even needing to make the public announcement. “I don’t even know why I have to say it publicly, because it’s really only our business in terms of who’s going to play and who’s not going to play,” Monken stated on Wednesday. “But I mean, he played well enough to earn to still be our starter.” You gotta respect a coach who just wants to keep things in-house, especially in a city known for its constant quarterback drama. Watson’s return means the Browns have their guy locked in for the rest of this season, a crucial piece of consistency as they look to build on that 5-3 start.
The Massive Question Mark Looming in 2027
Even with Watson steering the ship now, the elephant in the room is what happens in 2027. Watson’s contract is up after this season, and the writing is on the wall: the Browns need to move on from him, regardless of what goes down the rest of the way. Looking at their current roster, quarterbacks like Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel are pegged for backup careers, and rookie Taylen Green’s NFL future is still totally up in the air. This means general manager Andrew Berry is going to be hunting for a new starting quarterback, or at least a rookie who projects to be a true starter, in the 2027 NFL Draft. Berry’s got some draft capital, holding both Cleveland’s first-round pick and one from the Los Angeles Rams via the Myles Garrett trade. But neither of those picks is expected to be at the very top of the draft, which means Berry will either have to swing a trade or play the waiting game on draft night.
A Peek into the 2027 Mock Draft Landscape
The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner laid out one potential path for Berry in his Round 1 mock draft. Baumgardner projects the Browns landing picks at No. 15 and No. 19 overall. With some top quarterback talent like Drew Mestemaker (Miami, No. 3 to the Jets) and CJ Carr (New York Jets, No. 6) already off the board , but with Arch Manning still chilling in the green room , Baumgardner has the Browns grabbing Clemson defensive end Will Heldt with their first pick. This guy is a beast: 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, big enough to set the edge, and super crafty with his hands to rack up pass-rush wins. His build even draws comparisons to Aidan Hutchinson. Heldt, in his second season with the Tigers after two years at Purdue, is putting up serious numbers this season with 6 sacks, 27 pressures, and 15 defensive stops. Across 46 career games, he’s already got 146 tackles and 19.5.
Watson’s back this Sunday against the Texans, and the Browns are looking to get back in the win column. But no matter what happens on the field over the next few months, the real tension for Cleveland fans is going to build around that massive, franchise-altering quarterback decision looming in the 2027 offseason.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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