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If you’re looking for a comeback story to watch in 2026, you might want to pay close attention to Deshaun Watson’s resurgence as a starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns under new coach Todd Monken. Early reports from Cleveland claim that Watson has impressed in organized team activities and moved ahead of Shedeur Sanders as the club’s QB1.
While it’s far too late for Watson to live up to his historic contract — $230 million fully guaranteed over five years after the Browns traded six draft picks just to acquire him — he could be lining up for another starting job, or perhaps extending his stay in Cleveland, with a comeback campaign that reminds the football world of his spectacular talents as a playmaking wizard.
Now I certainly understand why the doubters roll their eyes at that statement. It’s been a while since we’ve seen the best of Watson, now 30 years old. But the recent recalls of Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith should create some optimism that Watson can turn things around under a head coach who believes in his game and brings in a system that will showcase his talent.
Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns throws a pass during a voluntary veterans minicamp at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on April 21, 2026 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Monken is coming off a three-year stint in which he helped Lamar Jackson earn his second MVP award (and nearly a third) while completing 66% of his passes for 10,399 yards with 86 touchdowns and just 18 interceptions over 46 games. Jackson finished with a passer rating of at least 102.7 in each of those seasons and averaged 8.4 yards per carry. pass attempts during that time.
Those numbers are especially notable because Jackson switched from a run-heavy offense to a spread system that featured more downfield throws and a renewed commitment to a quick-rhythm passing game. With Monken retiring from his experience as a playcaller at the collegiate level, the Baltimore Ravens used more spread formations and Air Raid concepts to make the play easy for their electric QB.
Watson once had similar success during his time with the Houston Texans, directing a wide-open offense under Bill O’Brien. The former first-rounder completed 67.8% of his passes for 14,539 passing yards with 104 touchdowns and 36 interceptions for a 104.5 passer rating over his first four seasons. With an average of 8.3 yards per carry. attempts over his 54 games in Houston, Watson clearly excelled in the spread and shred system, mirroring the offense in which he flourished while leading Clemson to a national title in 2016.
The skeptics will point out that Watson’s recent struggles and injuries shouldn’t be ignored, as we haven’t seen the former Pro Bowler at his best since 2020. He’s seemingly lost his steam after sitting out all of 2021 and serving an 11-game suspension in 2022 for violating the NFL’s two-dozen personal violations and more than two-dozen personal violations. injuries to his throwing shoulder and Achilles between 2023-25. Watson has appeared in just 19 of a possible 85 games over the past five seasons, with his final NFL action coming in October 2024.
However, the Browns’ ill-fitting scheme also contributed heavily to Watson’s struggles.
Although Kevin Stefanski’s under-center, play-action-heavy system has worked well for some passers, Watson never found his rhythm in the scheme, as evidenced by his dismal numbers (61.2% completion rate, 3,365 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 80.7 passer rating) during those 1 passes. Whether it was rust, resistance or a complete regression, Watson’s subpar game is one of the most puzzling developments we’ve witnessed in recent years.
Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during warmups before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field on October 20, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
That said, I’m reminded of what Hall of Fame director Ron Wolf once told me he learned from the late Al Davis: Don’t give up on a blue-chip talent because a new voice or environment could unlock their potential. While that discussion was part of a conversation about first-round picks getting more chances in the league, the point resonates in this scenario, given Monken’s arrival as the Browns’ new head coach and playcaller and Watson’s early-career pedigree.
For as mightily as Watson has struggled since arriving in Cleveland four years ago, he was a three-time Pro Bowler in Houston and widely regarded as a top-five QB.
“Anytime you have a player that at some point has displayed the skills at an elite level,” Monken reportedly said at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, “I think you always want to give them the benefit of the doubt that somehow we could maybe get that out of him again, and I think that’s how you have to look at every player.”
By giving Watson a clean slate and implementing a system more suited to his skill set, the Browns keep hope alive for the player who once led the league in passing (4,823 yards in 2020) and set a Texans franchise record with 33 touchdowns in the same season. The team hopes a new scheme and upgraded supporting cast will help Watson get back to the precise passing that made him one of the most feared young quarterbacks in the game.
Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans celebrates during an NFL game against the Tennessee Titans on January 3, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
From a schematic standpoint, Monken’s emphasis on the deep ball and quick play from shotgun formations should utilize Watson’s ability as a rhythm passer. The 6-foot-3, 223-pound Watson excelled at “catch it and rip it” concepts early in his career based on his extensive experience throwing rushes, screens and RPOs at Clemson. Additionally, he is an accurate passer on deep balls with his rainbow arc throws that routinely fly over the top of the defense.
The Texans took advantage of his ability by surrounding him with speedsters and catch-and-run specialists (Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks, Kenny Stills and Randall Cobb) who could track his deep throws or turn his quick passes into chunk gains on the perimeter. With perennial Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins dominating as a WR1, the team put enough playmakers around Watson to enable him to target the entire field.
Cleveland can emulate that plan after drafting KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston and Joe Royer last April to play alongside Jerry Jeudy, Isaiah Bond and Harold Fannin Jr. Even if the offseason moves weren’t made with Watson in mind, he should benefit from a more diverse and explosive receiving corps around him.
With a rebuilt offensive line that features a mix of veteran free agents and trade acquisitions (Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins and Tytus Howard) and a top-10 draft pick (Spencer Fano), the Browns have a set of “trenchers” in front of Watson to keep him upright and protected in the pocket. Also, the unit should move defenders off the ball to give the Browns a credible running game, thereby relieving some of the pressure on the quarterback to carry the offense.
Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on after a voluntary veterans minicamp at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on April 21, 2026 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
While it’s hard to imagine a player coming back from a five-year stretch of subpar play and injuries, Darnold just won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks after flopping with the Jets and Panthers over five seasons before mastering his craft as a backup with the 49ers and delivering a spectacular campaign with the Vikings in 2024.
Mayfield also endured a rollercoaster ride as a former No. 1 overall pick who was rejected from his original team (Browns) and started from his second team (Panthers) before turning the corner with the Rams and Buccaneers.
Smith is probably the best example of an unlikely comeback after earning back-to-back Pro Bowl berths in Seattle (2022-23) after a six-year layoff from a starting role. He served as a backup in four different organizations before eventually replacing Russell Wilson as the Seahawks’ starter after a two-year apprenticeship. The veteran’s odyssey shows the importance of finding the right arrangement and environment to flourish as a starter.
Moreover, it’s a narrative that should give Browns fans hope that, if he wins the starting job, Watson can play as the franchise quarterback that Dawg Pound expected him to be all along — if only for one season.
