NFL Offseason Check-In: Why Browns QB Deshaun Watson Might Bounce Back in 2026

If you are looking for a comeback story to watch in 2026, you might want to pay close attention to Deshaun Watson’s re-emergence as a starting quarterback with the Cleveland Browns under new coach Todd Monken. Early reports out of Cleveland assert that Watson has impressed at organized team activities and moved ahead of Shedeur Sanders as the club's QB1.

While it is far too late for Watson to live up to his historic contract — $230 million fully guaranteed over five years after the Browns traded six draft picks just to acquire him — he could line himself up for another starting job, or perhaps extend his stay in Cleveland, with a bounce-back campaign that reminds the football world of his spectacular talents as a playmaking wizard from the pocket.  

Now, I certainly understand why the doubters are rolling their eyes at that statement. It's been a while since we've seen the best of Watson, who's now 30 years old. But the recent reclamations of Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith should create some optimism that Watson can turn things around under a head coach who believes in his game and brings a system that will showcase his talent. 

Monken is coming off a three-year stint where he helped Lamar Jackson claim his second MVP award (and nearly a third), while completing 66% of his passes for 10,399 yards with 86 touchdowns and just 18 interceptions over 46 games. Jackson finished with a passer rating of at least 102.7 in each of those seasons and averaged a sparkling 8.4 yards per pass attempt during that span. 

Those numbers are especially notable because Jackson transitioned from a run-heavy offense to a spread system that featured more downfield throws and a renewed commitment to a quick-rhythm passing game. With Monken pulling from his experience as a playcaller on the collegiate level, the Baltimore Ravens utilized more spread formations and Air Raid concepts to make the game easy for their electric QB.  

Watson once enjoyed similar success during his time with the Houston Texans, directing a wide-open offense under Bill O’Brien. The former first-rounder completed 67.8% of his passes for 14,539 passing yards with 104 touchdowns and 36 interceptions for a 104.5 passer rating during his first four seasons. With an 8.3 yards-per-attempt average over his 54-game stint in Houston, Watson clearly excelled in the "spread and shred" system, mirroring the offense in which he flourished while leading Clemson to a national title in 2016.  

The skeptics will point out that Watson’s recent struggles and injuries should not be ignored, as we have not seen the former Pro Bowler at his peak since 2020. He has seemingly lost his mojo after sitting out all of 2021, serving an 11-game suspension in 2022 for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy following more than two dozen allegations of sexual assault, and dealing with injuries to his throwing shoulder and Achilles between 2023-25. Watson has appeared in just 19 out of a possible 85 games over the past five seasons and his last NFL action came in October 2024.

However, the Browns’ ill-fitting scheme also contributed heavily to Watson’s struggles.

Although Kevin Stefanski’s under-center, play-action-heavy system has worked well for some passers, Watson never found his rhythm within the scheme, as evidenced by his woeful numbers (61.2% completion rate, 3,365 pass yards, 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 80.7 passer rating) over those 19 games. Whether it was rust, resistance or a complete regression, Watson's subpar play is one of the most puzzling developments we have witnessed in recent years. 

That said, I'm reminded of what Hall of Fame executive Ron Wolf once told me he learned from the late Al Davis: Don't give up on a blue-chip talent because a new voice or environment could unlock their potential. Although that discussion was part of a conversation about first-round picks getting multiple chances in the league, the point resonates in this scenario, given Monken’s arrival as the Browns' new head coach and playcaller and Watson's early-career pedigree.  

For as mightily as Watson has struggled since arriving in Cleveland four years ago, he was a three-time Pro Bowler in Houston and widely viewed as a top-five QB. 

"Any time that you have a player that at one time has exhibited the skill set at an elite level," Monken reportedly said at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, "I think you're always going to give them the benefit of the doubt that somehow we might be able to get that out of him again, and I think that's how you should look at every player."

By giving Watson a clean slate and implementing a system that is more suited to his skills, the Browns are holding out hope for the player who once led the league in passing (4,823 yards in 2020) and set a Texans’ franchise record with 33 touchdowns in the same season. The team is hoping a new scheme and upgraded supporting cast will help Watson get back to the pinpoint passing that made him one of the most feared young quarterbacks in the game. 

From a schematic standpoint, Monken’s emphasis on the deep ball and quick game from shotgun formations should tap into Watson’s skills as a rhythmic passer. The 6-foot-3, 223-pound Watson excelled at "catch it and rip it" concepts early in his career based on his extensive experience throwing quicks, screens and RPOs at Clemson. Additionally, he is a pinpoint passer on deep balls with his rainbow-arcing tosses routinely flying over the top of the defense. 

The Texans took advantage of his skills by surrounding him with speedsters and "catch-and-run" specialists (Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks, Kenny Stills and Randall Cobb) who could track down his deep tosses or transform his quick passes into chunk gains on the perimeter. With perennial Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins dominating as a WR1, the team put enough playmakers around Watson to enable him to target the entire field. 

Cleveland can mimic that blueprint after drafting KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston and Joe Royer this past April to play alongside Jerry Jeudy, Isaiah Bond and Harold Fannin Jr. While the offseason moves were not made with Watson in mind, he should benefit from a more diverse and explosive receiving corps around him. 

With a rebuilt offensive line featuring a mix of veteran free-agent signees and trade acquisitions (Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins and Tytus Howard) and a top-10 draft pick (Spencer Fano), the Browns have a set of "trench warriors" in front of Watson who should keep him upright and protected in the pocket. Moreover, the unit should move defenders off the ball to give the Browns a credible running game, thereby alleviating some of the pressure on the quarterback to carry the offense. 

While it is hard to envision a player bouncing back from a five-year span of subpar play and injuries, Darnold just won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks after flopping with the Jets and the Panthers over five seasons before mastering his craft as a backup with the 49ers and delivering a spectacular campaign with the Vikings in 2024.

Mayfield also endured a roller-coaster ride as a former No. 1 overall pick who was dismissed from his original team (the Browns) and booted from his second squad (the Panthers) before turning the corner with the Rams and the Buccaneers. 

Smith is probably the best example of an improbable comeback after earning back-to-back Pro Bowl berths in Seattle (2022-23) after a six-year hiatus from a starting role. He served as a backup in four different organizations before eventually replacing Russell Wilson as the Seahawks’ starter following a two-year apprenticeship. The veteran’s odyssey shows the importance of finding the right scheme and environment to flourish as a starter. 

Moreover, it is a tale that should give Browns fans hope that Watson, should he win the starting job, can play like the franchise quarterback the Dawg Pound expected him to be all along — if only for a season.