It looks like Deshaun Watson is closing ‌the gap on the Cleveland Browns' primary quarterback position.

As reported by Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal, Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is set to play the whole season after recovering from a series of injuries. 

"I'm trying to play a full season, man," Watson said during the Browns' June minicamp. "I'm just trying to be healthy, so I can play all 17-plus games. I don't know what's going to happen at that time."

The 30-year-old quarterback suffered a series of season-ending injuries, which became his primary reason for remaining unavailable to the team. 

Watson suffered a series (2024 and 2025) of grade 3 pedal Achilles tears, first in Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season while playing against the Cincinnati Bengals, and the other one in 2025, for which he underwent surgery on January 09, 2026.

Per Pro Football Focus, since Watson’s signing with the Browns, he has only played 19 games in three seasons. While playing for the Browns, he scored 21 TDs while throwing for 3,365 yards. 

With his return to the OTAs, he was exposed to the competition against rookie QB Shedeur Sanders.

Not just this, he also had to go through a complete overhaul of the coaching staff in the Browns. 

New head coach (Todd Monken) and a fresh offensive staff after previously learning schemes under Kevin Stefanski, Alex Van Pelt, and Ken Dorsey.

As he prepares for the 2026 season, Browns QB coach Mike Bajakian praised Watson for adapting well under the new schemes.

Browns head coach makes surprising Deshaun Watson admission

As the Cleveland Browns prepares for the 2026 NFL season, their quarterback coach Mike Bajakian praised ‌quarterback Deshaun Watson’s football IQ, his ability of processing the information while making an appearance on the Cleveland Browns Daily podcast.

"He's [Deshaun] done a great job," Bajakian said. "Everyone knows about his athletic ability. Everybody knows about his arm talent. What has struck me in the brief time that I've spent with him is his ability to process information, which is the most important element of being a quarterback."

According to Bajakian, a QB's best weapon on the field is not just his physicality but also his situational awareness on the gridiron, and Watson has it all.

By saying this, he subtly drew a line between Watson and the rookie QB Shedeur Sanders.

As the Browns are setting up for the 2026 NFL season, such endorsements for Watson might help him to secure the QB1 position.

Read more at Quarter Back Central!

Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker