Browns, $133 Million QB Have ‘Mutual Interest’ in Joining Forces: Report

The Cleveland Browns may have found their starting quarterback for next season.

Cleveland and former Kansas City Chiefs backup quarterback Carson Wentz are both interested in joining forces, per a report from Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com on Wednesday, March 19.

“The Browns and Wentz, 32, ‘definitely have mutual interest’ this season on him becoming their veteran bridge quarterback, a league source told Cleveland.com,” Cabot wrote. “It’s apparently contingent upon them signing Russell Wilson, who visited last week.”

To be clear, Wentz is looking for a chance to start and wants to join the Browns to pursue that opportunity, but only if Wilson ends up playing elsewhere.

Both Wentz and Wilson are in holding patterns, as Aaron Rodgers continues to kick back on a free-agency decision of his own. The Minnesota Vikings pulled out of the Rodgers sweepstakes on Wednesday, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants as the two teams still vying for his services as their 2025 starter.

But according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Rodgers is in no hurry to make his decision. Even still, the Steelers appear to be the frontrunners for Rodgers, as both they and the Giants have already made offers to the four-time MVP.

Cabot noted that based on the circumstances, the Giants are the favorites to ink Wilson. In that case, the Browns appear to be the favorites to land Wentz after trading with the Philadelphia Eagles for Kenny Pickett last week.

Wentz has earned nearly $133 million over the course of his nine-year NFL career, though Spotrac projects his current market value at just $2 million over a new one-year contract.

Carson Wentz Won Super Bowl, Came Close to NFL MVP Early in Career

Wentz was a former No. 2 overall pick of the Eagles in 2016 and began his professional career with a trajectory that showed the potential for greatness.

He threw for more than 7,000 passing yards and 49 TDs compared to 21 INTs in 29 starts across his first two NFL campaigns. Wentz suffered an injury late in 2017, his sole Pro Bowl and Second-Team All-Pro season, and watched Nick Foles step in and lead the team to the first Super Bowl championship in franchise history.

Had Wentz remained healthy, he likely would have been the starter on a title team in just his second year and could have captured the MVP as well, which may have changed the conversation around him drastically over the subsequent seven years.

Instead, however, he remained the starter in Philly for the next three seasons before becoming a journeyman. He started 17 games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021 and eight contests for the Washington Commanders the following year. Wentz has been a backup QB for the past two seasons, first with the Los Angeles Rams before joining the Chiefs in 2024.

Browns May Select QB With No. 2 Overall Pick in NFL Draft

The chance for Wentz to start in Cleveland won’t be long-term, as the Browns are likely to select a QB with the No. 2 overall pick in next month’s draft.

Whoever that player is will likely be the QB of the future, as Deshaun Watson has just two years remaining on his deal and could miss all of 2025 with a twice-torn Achilles tendon.

However, Wentz can attempt to rebuild his value in head coach Kevin Stefanski’s system and then re-enter free agency in 2026 with the hopes of finding a longer-term starting opportunity and more money elsewhere.