5 Quarterbacks Who Could Replace Defunct Deshaun Watson In 2025
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The experiment of Deshaun Watson playing quarterback for the Cleveland Browns is slowly but surely coming to an end.
The Browns, playing Bailey Zappe (their fourth QB of the season), lost their final game Saturday to the Baltimore Ravens. That loss, coupled with a few notable games the following day, secured the No. 2 overall draft pick for Cleveland.
On Sunday the Browns announced the firings of offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson. They were both here for only one year each.
The team announced Monday that Watson’s Achilles injury suffered a setback, and he reportedly may be forced to miss the entire 2025 season.
With all that said – who should replace Deshaun Watson as the starting quarterback for the Browns in 2025 and beyond?
Shedeur Sanders
The Browns will have their choice of all (but 1) college players in April’s NFL Draft. Shedeur Sanders, the son of Prime Time Deion Sanders, will almost undoubtedly be selected in the first round.
Sanders led the Colorado Buffalos to their first 9-win season since 2016.
The big question about this player, however, is whether or not his father would allow him to play in Cleveland. Regardless of that answere, wherever Shedeur plays a media circus is sure to follow.
After the Watson fiasco, would that media circus in Cleveland be worth it?
Cam Ward
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The most pro-ready college QB (and my personal favorite) is Cam Ward of the Miami Hurricanes. In one season with Miami, Ward threw for 4300 yards, 39 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions.
Ward also has the prototypical NFL QB body. He’s 6’2″ and 220 pounds, which would seemingly help him stay upright in a division featuring the hard-hitting Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens.
Jalen Milroe
In a widely considered weak QB draft, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe is the third quarterback most experts think could be selected in the first round. With a similar body type to Ward, Milroe is hardly a finished product. His 16 TD to 11 INT ratio last season is far from perfect, but his ability to run is what makes his upside so tempting. In 2024 Milroe ran 726 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Kirk Cousins
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Stepping away from the incoming rookies, many reports have linked Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins to Cleveland for a few reasons. For starters, Cousins was benched by the Falcons in mid-December for rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. The move jumpstarted the Falcons offense a bit, but it wasn’t enough to get them to the playoffs.
Now experts think that the Falcons will cut Cousins and allow Penix to assume the lead QB role moving forward. If that happens then Cleveland would be an interesting team to watch. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was on the staff in Minnesota when Cousins was their quarterback, and that relationship leads people to believe that Cousins may want to reunite with his former QB coach to potentially revive his career.
Daniel Jones
Another interesting NFL QB to watch is former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones was cut by the Giants mid-season after another lackluster year. Jones, currently on the Vikings practice squad, has an athletic running ability that could mesh well with Stefanski’s offensive style.
Of the five quarterbacks listed here, who would you pick to run the Browns?
If none of these QBs tickle your fancy then who do you think the Browns should sign to replace Deshaun Watson?
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