To say the least, quarterback Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns struggled in their season opener. The team found itself down 31-0 with under three minutes left in the third quarter. Watson’s first start since the 2024 season was hard to watch. With General Manager Andrew Berry insisting that future contract decisions depend on performance, games like this will quickly derail Watson’s future with the franchise.
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“In terms of the future, I think part of that just candidly remains to be seen, right? For any player that has their contract expiring, and I think, you know, quite honestly, performance has a big part of that,” said GM Andrew Berry on the ESPN Cleveland show.
Watson is entering the final year of his five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract. While there are currently no reports of extension talks, Berry revealed that the franchise is keeping its options open.
“I wouldn’t take anything off the table because I’ve learned, and probably more times the hard way, that you really don’t know what the future holds or how circumstances change,” Berry added. “But right now we are expecting Deshaun to play well.”
Watson currently carries a cap hit of $40.22 million, while the Browns are scheduled to carry dead money into the future season because of previously prorated bonuses. A new agreement could give them another mechanism to spread existing cap obligations over additional seasons.
However, the football side of things will make it really hard for the Browns to justify the next contract with Watson. He has started only 19 games for Cleveland and has a 9-10 record. He also missed the entire last season after undergoing two Achilles surgeries before returning as Cleveland’s starting QB for 2026.
Against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1, Watson finished with 16-for-22 passes for 205 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The offense struggled to have long drives in the first half, tallying just 95 net yards and five first downs with a fumble and interception.
Still, in the past, Berry has indicated that Cleveland views the decision surrounding Watson through a much broader lens.
“I think the one thing that’s pretty unique about the quarterback position in our sport is when you find a good one, they’re typically with your franchise for a long period of time,” Berry said in April 2024.
Back then, when asked about the Watson trade, as having a “ten-year horizon,” Berry clarified that he was not speaking literally. Still, he emphasized that QBs who become franchise anchors can remain with teams for the long term.
“So, when I say ten years, maybe I didn’t mean it quite as literally as you’re taking it, but for a very long period of time because you know that player at that position can really anchor your franchise and anchor your organization on the field.”
That history makes his latest comment more significant. But now, with public outrage continuing around the franchise’s decision to move forward with Watson, the Browns have given another twist that could leave their fanbase fuming all over again. For now, Watson’s performance will determine the future possibilities.