The Cleveland Browns aren’t just paying for their active quarterbacks. They’re paying for every decision they’ve made in recent years, and the twist that comes with juggling eight names in a single season. As of October 2025, the team has a monstrous $41.6 million tied up in QB contracts and dead money. Deshaun Watson’s $35.9 million cap hit leads the list of head coach Kevin Stefanski’s headaches. And Watson’s not even back on the practice field yet. That $41.6 million hit is a statement about how wild the Browns’ situation is right now.

Watson, still sitting on the PUP list, is bleeding cap space while waiting for his practice window to open (if it does). Dillon Gabriel ($1.1 million) takes the snaps as the latest starter, and Shedeur Sanders ($955 K) has finally become the QB2. Bailey Zappe ($315K) sits on the practice squad as insurance. Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Kenny Pickett? All are dead money; just names haunting the salary cap.

Kevin Stefanski kept rolling with the punches. He sent Thompson-Robinson to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 5th-round draft pick and Kenny Pickett. Pickett saw some preseason action and ultimately departed for the Las Vegas Raiders in late August. Now, the Browns aren’t trying to be creative; they’re just trying to survive. But every choice so far has cut into their flexibility. Every injury and bet on a new face has had consequences. The Dawg Pound knows this pain. It’s not new, just more expensive.

The Browns brass has thrown big money at quarterback talent for years. Sometimes for starters, mostly for insurance. Watson’s contract was the ultimate gamble. Now, every snap, whether it’s Gabriel, Sanders, or a future prospect, feels like a pricey coin flip. That’s what their $41.6 million in QB spend looks like: security, risk, and plenty of regret.

But Cleveland has seen every kind of quarterback shuffle by now. From Brandon Weeden to Johnny Manziel to Cody Kessler. This latest version just comes with way more zeros. But with their latest quarterback move, the team seems to be focused on surviving this season and prepping for what’s coming next.

Joe Flacco’s fresh start, and the Browns’ future moves

Joe Flacco was supposed to be the veteran arm that helped Kevin Stefanski get a playoff berth. But with eight turnovers in the first four games, that door closed early. With the latest trade hammer falling, the Browns shipped off Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals along with a 2026 6th-round pick. In exchange, they’ve received a 5th-round pick for next year. With Bengals franchise quarterback Joe Burrow recovering from a turf toe, Flacco now gets another chance to lead a 2025 team in place of Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning. But what about the Browns?

Gabriel gets the job by default, with Sanders shadowing him. Zappe could step up if injuries mount. If nothing else works, the Browns could open Watson’s practice window and eventually hand him the ball again. And that’s all about this season, unless the Browns bring in another quarterback for a quick fix. Meanwhile, the front office is already stacking draft picks. They know this cycle isn’t sustainable. If history repeats, another QB will be on the payroll next year, adding to the running tab. 

The upside? As of now, the Browns have 10 draft picks lined up for 2026, including two first-round picks. That could give them a new quarterback, and the rest could be used as trade chips, or simply to reshape the roster. For now, the cost of hope in Cleveland is $41.6 million and counting. The drama isn’t over. And the front office is betting big (again) that the next page finally turns their fortunes around.