As Many As Five Teams May Have GM Openings; 49ers Exec Josh Williams Expected To Generate Interest
As of the time of this writing, only the Dolphins are certain to be interviewing prospective general managers at season’s end (their GM post has been filled by interim Champ Kelly since Chris Grier’s midseason ouster). But sources tell Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports that as many as five other clubs could part ways with their incumbent GM in short order.
Jones does not specify which teams may be looking for a new top executive. Clubs like the Browns (Andrew Berry), Cardinals (Monti Ossenfort), Falcons (Terry Fontenot), and Giants (Joe Schoen) all have GMs with varying degrees of job security, though the fact that Schoen is spearheading New York’s head coaching search suggests he will be given another year at the helm. Likewise, Berry and Ossenfort may be on firmer footing than the HCs of their respective teams, while roughly 70% of PFR readership believes Atlanta will move on from Fontenot.
Regardless of how many openings materialize, Jones expects 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams to be among the top candidates for clubs in search of a new GM. During calls Jones has placed around the league, multiple sources have brought up Williams’ name on their own, without any sort of prompt from Jones.
Williams, 38, joined San Francisco as a scouting assistant in 2011 and was promoted to his current position in 2024. At the time, we noted that he was viewed in league circles as a future general manager, and during the 2025 hiring cycle, he earned a second interview for the Jaguars’ post, which ultimately went to James Gladstone.
John Lynch’s front office has already seen Adam Peters and Ran Carthon depart for GM jobs elsewhere in recent years, and there are a number of other San Francisco staffers who could follow in their footsteps in the near future. That list includes (in addition to Williams) assistant GM RJ Gillen, vice president of player personnel Tariq Ahmad, and vice president of football research and development Matt Ploenzke.
Of that group, only Williams has received a GM interview to date, and the fact that he scored two summits with Jacksonville brass is telling. Team owners are already familiar with Williams as a result of the NFL’s accelerator program, and Jones says Williams’ experience scouting college players will be his biggest selling point.
Dolphins To Explore Trading Up For QB In 2026 Draft?
The Dolphins may have no choice but to retain quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in 2026, given the financial ramifications of a release and the presumed absence of a meaningful trade market. Even if that proves to be the case, Tagovailoa’s performance this season has led to his demotion and has forced the ‘Fins to at least contemplate moving on from their 2020 first-rounder.
During his weekly appearance on WSVN Fox 7, prominent NFL agent Drew Rosenhaus (who does not represent Tagovailoa) said he expects the Dolphins to explore a trade-up in the 2026 draft in an effort to land the southpaw’s successor (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). In that scenario, newly-minted Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza would unsurprisingly be a “likely target,” per Rosenhaus. If Oregon’s Dante Moore elects to turn pro – which would run counter to the most recent reporting on the matter – he would presumably be in consideration as well.
At present, the Giants hold the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft. They made signal-caller Jaxson Dart a first-round selection this year, and Dart has performed well enough in his rookie season to justify that choice and to solidify his standing within the organization. As Jackson notes, there has been some speculation from ESPN insider and former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum that Big Blue could draft Mendoza and look to trade Dart if they ultimately secure the No. 1 pick, but if the Giants or the Cam Ward-fronted Titans end up with the top choice, one would imagine either club would seriously consider dealing it to a QB-needy team.
However, the 2-13 Raiders and 2-13 Giants play each other Sunday, and the loser of that game will have the inside track on the top pick. Unlike the Giants, the Raiders do not have a player that resembles a franchise passer on the roster, so they may keep that pick for themselves and use it on a player like Mendoza or Moore. Another obvious barrier to a Dolphins trade-up is the fact that teams like the Jets, Browns, and Cardinals are also likely to consider drafting a QB and are slated to pick ahead of Miami, thus giving them a more valuable first-rounder to offer in a swap.
That said, the Dolphins still could finish with a pick as high as No. 7, and they have a high second-round pick and three third-rounders in 2026. They also control the rights to all of their future first-rounders, and their first-round selection in 2027 – which is projected to boast a deeper QB class – could be a high one, as Jackson posits.
In short, they may have the ammo to do what they tried to do in 2020, when they offered a package of four first-round picks to the Bengals to move up just four spots from the No. 5 pick to No. 1 for the right to select Joe Burrow (although three of those first-rounders were in the 2020 draft). Cincinnati rejected the proposal, and Miami settled for Tagovailoa.
Neither Mendoza nor Moore is the type of prospect that Burrow was, and depending on the results of the last several games of the current season, Miami’s first pick in 2026 may not come until No. 17. If that happens, this type of trade-up speculation would probably be moot. Still, Rosenhaus’ remarks serve as yet another indicator that the ‘Fins no longer believe Tagovailoa is their long-term quarterback.
Eagles To Consider Trading WR A.J. Brown In Offseason?
The Eagles were reportedly willing to listen to trade offers on wide receiver A.J. Brown in advance of this year’s deadline, though they were not prepared to deal him for anything less than a blockbuster package. Philadelphia could be more amenable to a swap this offseason.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler hears from several executives that the Eagles may look to move Brown at some point after the 2025 campaign comes to an end. Fowler also says there would be a market for the three-time Pro Bowler, who will turn just 29 in June and who is due $50MM in cash over the next two seasons (an eminently reasonable sum for a WR1, considering the receiver market has now moved into $40MM/year territory).
Philadelphia presumably would like to retain Brown for his on-field abilities, though his play this season has not generated as much attention as his comments about his team’s offense. Brown has publicly expressed his frustrations with the Eagles’ Kevin Patullo-coordinated attack on several occasions this year, and those grievances and the reporting they beget must be taxing on the team’s locker room, in Fowler’s estimation.
Fowler acknowledges Brown’s teammates may understand his concerns. After all, the limitations of Philly’s passing game are apparent, and the offense as a whole ranks in the bottom half of the NFL in terms of both yardage and points after finishing in the top-10 in both categories in 2024.
Despite that, and despite Brown’s apology for at least some of his comments – along with the fact that he declined to publicly blame the embattled Patullo earlier this month – his well-documented complaints necessitated a meeting with owner Jeffrey Lurie back in November. It is therefore reasonable to think Lurie and GM Howie Roseman might entertain trade offers in 2026 after turning away prospective suitors last offseason.
Brown certainly has enjoyed an increased role in the offense over the past few games. After seeing double-digit targets just once in the first eight weeks of the season, he has hit that threshold in five of the Eagles’ last six contests (with the one exception being a 31-0 romp over the hapless Raiders). For the year, he has 73 receptions (on 114 targets) for 935 yards and seven touchdowns, and he is on pace to crack the 1,000-yard mark for the sixth time in his seven pro seasons (though his 12.8 yards-per-catch rate is a career-low).
If the Eagles trade Brown before June 1, they would lose roughly $20MM in 2026 cap space. They could save $7MM on next year’s cap by dealing him after June 1.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow Not Seeking Trade, Not Considering Retirement
10:10pm: When speaking to the media after today’s shutout loss, Burrow confirmed (via Dehner) his recent comments were tied to “football” rather than “Cincinnati” specifically. Burrow reiterated his belief in the organization – one which has now officially been eliminated from the playoffs for the third year in a row – to make the needed improvements during the offseason.
10:56am: In Week 13, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow returned from injured reserve much earlier than originally expected and led his club to a victory over the division-rival Ravens, thus keeping Cincinnati’s slim playoff hopes alive. A week later, he threw an interception in consecutive fourth-quarter possessions – one of them a pick-six – in a heartbreaking loss to the Bills.
The defeat all but eliminated the Bengals from playoff contention, and during a press conference on Wednesday, a typically-contemplative Burrow offered a few comments that raised eyebrows about his future in the league (or at least in Cincinnati).
“If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing this,” Burrow said (via Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic (subscription required)). “I have been through a lot. If it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for? That is the mindset I am trying to bring to the table.”
When asked what was bothering him, Burrow said, “[t]here are just a lot of things going on right now. A lot of things going on.”
He was then asked if he was referring to personal or football matters, and he succinctly replied, “all of the above.”
The presser took place on Burrow’s 29th birthday, which is the same age that Andrew Luck was when he suddenly announced his retirement in 2019. However, multiple reporters subsequently made it clear Burrow is not considering that route, nor does he want to leave the Bengals (he is currently under contract through 2029).
One source told Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports that the retirement/trade demand speculation that grew out of Burrow’s comments was “blown out” of proportion and simply “crazy.”
“He was emotional on his birthday and pissed that for as much as he’s worked, he’s still not able to win,” the source said. “That’s all he wants to do. … If he cannot win he’s miserable.”
Burrow has missed significant time due to injury in three of his six professional seasons, and though fully-healthy campaigns in 2021 and 2022 led to a Super Bowl appearance and a run to the AFC Championship game, respectively, Cincinnati is on track to miss the playoff field for the third straight year. It would not be surprising if the health woes and the on-field losses have taken a mental toll.
Even if that’s the case, Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) hears that the two-time Pro Bowl passer has not so much as hinted at retirement, nor does he want out of Cincinnati. Although he previously has expressed frustration with some aspects of the franchise’s operation – such as the fact that the Bengals employ the NFL’s smallest coaching and scouting staffs – those concerns were not behind his Wednesday remarks.
A source close to Burrow said, “[w]hen was the last time Joe made two mistakes to lose a game for any team he’s been on? He knows he has to be perfect for this team to win, and he wasn’t perfect.”
Another source familiar with Burrow’s thinking said, “[e]veryone is being a little dramatic. This isn’t mental health, this isn’t depression, this is ‘I want to win.'”
Jones reports that, the Bengals’ history with unhappy players like QB Carson Palmer notwithstanding, there is no panic within the organization about Burrow’s future in the Queen City. Team sources tell ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that Burrow had an excellent week of practice, and they believe he wants to be there. Even so, ESPN colleague Adam Schefter said on his podcast that rival clubs did take note of Burrow’s words.
“I could tell you this: other teams in the league took notice of [Burrow’s presser],” Schefter said (h/t Charlie Baduini of The Sporting News). “I could tell you that for a fact, I know that because I was texting with some of them.”
Most teams in the league would be interested in acquiring Burrow if he were to become available. At the moment, however, it seems the former Heisman Trophy winner and CFP national champion was merely expressing his frustrations over another lost season in the pros and will remain in tiger stripes for the long haul.
Indeed, Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has seen no change in, or negativity from, his longtime friend and teammate, per ESPN’s Ben Baby. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) echoed the Jones and Russini reports and said Burrow’s comments stemmed solely from his frustration with on-field results.
Jaguars OC Grant Udinski To Be Popular HC Candidate?
Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski will not turn 30 until next month. Nonetheless, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports the promising coach may be a popular name in the upcoming HC cycle.
Since the Rams hired Sean McVay as their head coach just a few days shy of his 31st birthday in 2017, other teams around the NFL frequently have sought candidates in the same mold: a young, creative offensive mind who can provide fresh energy and engineer a high-scoring outfit. Clubs seeking the “next McVay” have found varying degrees of success, but Udinski could be the next such coach to try and replicate the sustained stretch of competitiveness Los Angeles has enjoyed under its former wunderkind.
When Jacksonville’s first-year HC, Liam Coen, hired Udinski in February, he called his new staffer a “rising star,” and he was not the only one to notice. Udinski started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Baylor in 2019 and followed Matt Rhule from Waco to the Panthers in 2020. Rhule’s tenure with Carolina did not go well, and Udinski jumped ship after the 2021 season to join Kevin O’Connell’s first staff with the Vikings in 2022.
Udinski became Minnesota’s assistant quarterbacks coach the following year, and he added the role of assistant offensive coordinator last season. As Jones notes, the Pennsylvania native had a hand in two strong Kirk Cousins-led years with the Vikes – though one of them was shortened by injury – and he was also heavily involved in Sam Darnold’s surprising 2024 campaign.
Jones likewise credits Udinski with helping Jags QB Trevor Lawrence’s “resurgence” this season. While Jacksonville is 9-4 and in first place in the AFC South, Lawrence’s bottom-line stats are just as pedestrian as they have been throughout most of his pro career. Still, the success the team as a whole is having has kept Udinski’s stock on the rise.
His cause could also be helped by the dearth of other offensive-minded candidates who have stood out in 2025. Jones appears to acknowledge that Udinski’s youth will give HC-needy teams pause, and the fact that he does not call the Jaguars’ offensive plays – Coen holds that responsibility – may also be a cause for concern (though that is merely speculation).
Even if he does not land a head coaching post in 2026, Udinski could become a fixture in HC rumors in future years, just as he was on the OC circuit in 2025 (he interviewed for the offensive coordinator position with five different clubs).
Packers Unlikely To Retain WR Romeo Doubs; OLB Rashan Gary A Cut Candidate?
In early October, we heard the Packers were interested in extending contract-year wideout Romeo Doubs. Now, multiple outlets are reporting that Doubs is unlikely to be back with Green Bay in 2026.
Earlier this week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said the Packers are expected to let Doubs walk, and just a day later, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic (subscription required) said the same thing. Schneidman views Christian Watson and Jayden Reed, both of whom are under contract through 2026, as the veteran wideouts who are more likely to land an extension from Green Bay.
The Packers also have rookie receivers Matthew Golden and Savion Williams on the books through 2028, and, like Watson and Reed, Dontayvion Wicks is not presently eligible for free agency until 2027. While Doubs is presently leading the team with 45 receptions and 542 receiving yards, that is largely due to injuries suffered by other players.
Watson did not make his 2025 debut until Week 8 as he rehabbed a January ACL tear – and he has played very well since his return – and Jayden Reed only recently got back on the field after sustaining a broken collarbone in Week 2. Tight end Tucker Kraft, meanwhile, saw his promising season cut short by an ACL tear of his own in Week 9.
Fowler previously had opined that Doubs could be eyeing a contract worth $15MM per year. Though the ESPN scribe did not offer a prediction as to contract value in his latest report, he did say Doubs will do well if and when he hits free agency. Given Green Bay’s WR situation, it stands to reason the club would be disinclined to pay market value for the Nevada product.
Another player who could be nearing the end of his Packers tenure is outside linebacker Rashan Gary. Under club control through 2027 by virtue of the four-year, $96MM extension he signed in October 2023, Gary has already tallied 7.5 sacks this season, which matches his output from his Pro Bowl showing in 2024.
That said, he has not tallied a sack since Week 7, and as Schneidman observes, Gary’s pressure percentage since Week 9 is tied for 38th in the league. Even in 2024, 4.5 of Gary’s 7.5 sacks came in a six-game span, so what Schneidman refers to as “stretches of futility” are not a new phenomenon for the 28-year-old edge defender.
However, with Micah Parsons in the fold to take pressure off Gary, those stretches are less excusable. As such, Schneidman believes the Packers could release Gary this offseason, though he concedes that will be more difficult if 2023 first-rounder Lukas Van Ness – who has missed extensive time this year with a foot injury – does not quickly start playing like a Day 1 draftee. Cutting Gary prior to June 1 would net roughly $11MM in cap savings, though it would come with a dead money charge in excess of $17MM. A post-June 1 release would be more palatable in that regard.
Schneidman echoes another prior Fowler report in saying that Green Bay will likely allow left tackle Rasheed Walker to sign elsewhere in the upcoming offseason.
Colts CB Charvarius Ward Does Not Plan To Retire
In his first season with the Colts in 2025, cornerback Charvarius Ward has sustained three concussions. After the second one, he admitted he had doubts that he would be able to play football again, but he was activated from injured reserve prior to Week 12 and played in each of Indianapolis’ next three games.
Although a third concussion has him back on IR – thus bringing an end to his regular season, which has four games remaining – he is giving no thought to retirement. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Ward wants to continue playing and even hoped to avoid his current IR placement.
The fact that Ward is optimistic about his playing future is encouraging, particularly in light of a recent story from Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star. As Brown details, Ward’s second concussion led to dizziness, nausea, unfocused vision, and piercing headaches, and those symptoms returned to some extent shortly after the Colts’ Week 14 loss to the Jaguars.
Of course, Ward’s long-term health will be the key factor in deciding whether he is able to suit up again, as both defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and head coach Shane Steichen acknowledged.
“What’s most important and what’s most paramount right now is how he is as a human,” Anarumo said (via Brown). “Forget about the football player part of it. I really just want him to be okay, and that’s what’s most important with dealing with all that right now.”
Brown’s story was published on Thursday, several days before Schefter’s report. As of that date, Steichen had not yet spoken with Ward about his prior retirement thoughts, saying he would do so shortly.
“I think it’s always concerning when you have that many concussions. He’s in the protocol, and we’ll work through it with him, and we’ll go from there,” Steichen added.
From a purely on-field perspective, Ward’s absence adds another layer of difficulty to what has been a trying stretch for the Colts. After starting the season 7-1 behind a resurgent campaign from quarterback Daniel Jones, the team has lost four of its last five games and are presently on the outside of the playoff picture. Jones himself is out for the season due to a torn Achilles, and 44-year-old Philip Rivers has come out of retirement to take his place.
Ward, 29, was not as effective after his second concussion as he had been earlier in the season, but with both him and marquee trade acquisition Sauce Gardner on the shelf, Indy’s secondary is notably shorthanded. Gardner is expected to miss Sunday’s bout with the Seahawks and hopes to return in Week 16.
Panthers Hope To Open RG Robert Hunt’s Practice Window Soon
The 7-6 Panthers find themselves at the top of the NFC South standings, a half-game ahead of the spiraling Bucs. As it pushes for a division title, Carolina hopes to have Pro Bowl right guard Robert Hunt back for at least a portion of the stretch run.
Hunt, one of the Panthers’ two big-ticket free agent investments at the guard position in 2024, sustained a torn biceps in Week 2 and has been on injured reserve ever since. Earlier this week, head coach Dave Canales expressed his hope that the club will be able to open Hunt’s 21-day practice window before the end of the regular season (via Joe Person of The Athletic).
A better run-blocker than pass-blocker, Hunt’s return would add further support to an offense that has produced the 10th-most rushing yards per game in 2025. The two-headed attack of Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard has buoyed an offense that has failed to generate much production through the air, though third-year quarterback Bryce Young has led four fourth-quarter comebacks and five game-winning drives this season.
Hunt, 29, was limited to 11 games due to injury during his platform year with the Dolphins in 2023, but he had otherwise been durable since Miami made him a second-round pick in 2020. In his absence, a number of players have been shuffled through the right guard slot.
Third-year pro Chandler Zavala relieved Hunt in Week 2 and started at RG in Weeks 3 and 4. Unfortunately, he sustained a knee injury in the Week 4 contest and landed on IR himself. Brady Christensen was the next man up and started four games before a torn Achilles brought a premature end to his 2025 campaign.
In his return to action in Week 9, Zavala sustained an elbow injury that knocked him out for the remainder of the game. He was replaced by Jake Curhan, and then Austin Corbett lined up at RG for Week 10.
That was the first ime Corbett had taken snaps at right guard since 2023, and it did not go well. He was relegated to the bench in Week 11, and Zavala again took the right guard reins. He managed to make it through that game unscathed, but a calf injury sustained during the Panthers’ Week 12 loss to the 49ers forced Curhan back onto the field. Curhan went on to start in Week 13 and played every offensive snap in an upset victory over the Rams.
Now, fresh off their Week 14 bye, the Panthers are giving Corbett another shot at right guard in Week 15 (via Person). The 30-year-old blocker beat out Cade Mays for the starting center job this summer, but Corbett suffered an MCL injury in Week 2 and joined Hunt on IR after that game. That allowed Mays to take over at the pivot, and the impending free agent has played himself into consideration for a second contract with Carolina.
In light of all of the above-referenced injuries, it is perhaps not surprising that Mays also missed each of the last two games with an ankle injury. He has been cleared for Week 15, and he will start on Sunday, with Corbett lined up to his right.
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza Expected To Declare For 2026 NFL Draft; Dante Moore, Ty Simpson Likely To Return To School
It is looking increasingly likely that Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza will be the first college QB to hear his name called in the 2026 draft, and he bolstered his case on Saturday by leading the Hoosiers to a victory over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game. Unsurprisingly, multiple sources have told Tony Pauline of EssentiallySports.com that Mendoza will declare for the draft.
In addition to the stellar season Mendoza is having, which has him firmly in the mix for the Heisman Trophy, several of the other top passers who are eligible for the draft appear headed back to campus in 2026. According to Pauline, there is an “overwhelming belief” that Oregon’s Dante Moore will return to the Ducks next season, where the 20-year-old has an eight-figure NIL package waiting for him. In addition to the money, Moore could use more time to continue developing and growing into the potential that his elite physical tools create.
Like Moore, Alabama’s Ty Simpson does not have a great deal of starting experience, and he could therefore stand to benefit from another year in college (where he will remain under the tutelage of renowned offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ryan Grubb). Although much can obviously change in a year’s time, Moore and Simpson project as early frontrunners for the 2027 Heisman, and Pauline hears that Simpson is also likely to forego the NFL draft for another season.
However, as ESPN’s Rich Cimini observes, Mendoza, Moore, and Simpson are the consensus top QB prospects for 2026, and ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid says there is a substantial drop-off between that trio and the next tier of signal-callers. So if Moore and Simpson do not declare, then Mendoza will essentially comprise a one-man class, which will make his decision to turn pro even easier.
It will also drive up the price to acquire the right to draft him. As of the time of this writing, the Titans have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft, but they just selected Cam Ward with the top pick in 2025 and will continue to develop him in the hopes he can become their franchise QB. They could demand a hefty trade package for their top choice if teams like the Jets, Browns, Raiders, or Saints decide Mendoza is their guy.
We recently learned that evaluators are split on Mendoza’s professional ceiling, but the need to find a quality quarterback always leads to overvaluation of college passers. Plus, it’s not as if the California transfer has not earned the mantle of best QB in his class. He boasts a 71.5% completion percentage along with an FBS-leading 33 passing touchdowns (against just six interceptions) and 10.66 air yards per attempt. And while his stats in the Ohio State victory do not jump off the page (15/23, 222 yards, one TD, one interception), his mettle in leading the Hoosiers to victory in a championship game against an elite defense surely caught the attention of NFL front offices.
We know that Jets GM Darren Mougey has already scouted Mendoza in person – Mougey witnessed the 22-year-old engineer a dramatic comeback win over Penn State – and Mendoza will continue to be one of the most-discussed prospects in the run-up to the draft. The same could be true of South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, who is having a disappointing year but who is still viewed as a late first-round pick, per Pauline. Sources close to Sellers believe there is too much risk for him in returning to college and perhaps reducing his draft stock even further, so he may make the decision to declare.
Browns Expected To Retain QB Deshaun Watson In 2026
The dead money charge the Browns will be saddled with if they release Deshaun Watson this offseason, even if they designate him a post-June 1 cut, always made it possible they would retain their embattled passer through the last year of his contract in 2026. Multiple reporters have recently confirmed that is the expectation.
On Thursday, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com said Watson would be on the roster next year, barring an unforeseen development. On Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter echoed that report, and both Cabot and Schefter noted Watson has served as a valuable veteran presence for the Browns’ rookie QBs, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Watson, 30, has not appeared in a game since October 20, 2024, when he suffered a torn Achilles. He tore the same Achilles while rehabbing last January and had to undergo surgery shortly thereafter. He has spent the entire 2025 campaign on the PUP list as a result, though the fact that the Browns recently opened his 21-day practice window suggested he could see the field before the season ends.
That still appears unlikely, but Watson will at least get some practice reps to allow head coach Kevin Stefanski & Co. the chance to see him in action. As Cabot notes, that will give the Browns a little more data as they plan for the 2026 draft, at which point they could be selecting a quarterback yet again. Of course, Watson’s performance in practice surely will not dissuade Cleveland from picking a collegiate signal-caller it believes in, but it still needs to know if Watson can operate as at least a bridge to a younger passer.
In the meantime, Sanders will look to keep his name in the mix of 2026 starting options. Unsurprisingly, Sanders will not be penciled in atop next year’s depth chart unless he “lights it up” over the last few games of the current slate. Gabriel, whose Week 11 concussion opened the door for Sanders to take the reins, projects as more of a capable backup at the professional level, and he did not do much in his six starts this year to suggest otherwise.
Though Watson’s salary cap situation is perhaps the primary reason why he is seen as a safe bet to remain with the Browns in 2026, it should be mentioned that the club has an insurance policy on his contract that could result in a hefty payout and corresponding credit to Cleveland’s cap sheet. If the Browns retain Watson, they will again restructure his contract to smooth out his 2026 cap charge of $80.72MM, as Cabot reports. So if Cleveland realizes some cap relief from an insurance payout, it stands to reason the team may consider cutting ties immediately and allow the credit to help offset Watson’s existing dead money hit, thus preventing even more dead money from being added to future void years.
That is merely speculation, but it does add another wrinkle to the Browns’ decision. For now, however, Watson is set to be back in Cleveland next season and could even be the Week 1 starter.