Deshaun Watson is heading into a huge 2026 season with his future in the NFL very much up in the air.
Pro Football Focus recently included the former Clemson quarterback on its list of NFL players with the most at stake this year, and it’s easy to see why. Watson is back healthy after missing the entire 2025 season and enters the final year of his contract with Cleveland while competing with Shedeur Sanders for the Browns’ starting job.
PFF’s Bradley Locker wrote that this could be a defining year for Watson’s career.
“The Browns are granting Watson a chance to be the team’s QB1 in 2026, but the 30-year-old may not have many further opportunities if he’s poor yet again,” Locker wrote.
Watson hasn’t found his footing since arriving in Cleveland in 2022. Injuries have limited his availability, and his production hasn’t matched expectations after the Browns traded heavily to land him and gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million deal.
Still, early offseason reports indicate Watson has the edge in the quarterback competition heading into training camp. If he holds onto the job and performs well, it could revive his career. If not, questions about his long-term future as an NFL starter will only grow.
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— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) May 29, 2026
Watson hasn’t appeared in a game since tearing his Achilles during the 2024 season and later suffering another setback during recovery that sidelined him for all of 2025.
Now healthy again, he gets another opportunity in 2026, and with his contract expiring after the season, it may be his most important one yet.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: PFF analyst talks Deshaun Watson, last chance as a NFL starting quarterback