Browns Among Favorites to Land $160 Million QB to Take Over for Watson

The Cleveland Browns may have caught the break they need to bring in a suitable veteran replacement for starting quarterback Deshaun Watson.

The New York Giants released quarterback Daniel Jones on Friday, November 22, less than two years after the franchise inked him to a $160 million extension through the 2027 campaign. Not only is New York on the hook for all of Jones’ $81 million guaranteed salary, but he is a free agent who can sign with any NFL franchise.

Cleveland has a suitable starter in Jameis Winston with whom it can finish off the season. However, Winston is on the wrong side of 30 and only under contract through the remainder of this year.

Jones is liable to cost in the same range as Winston in 2025 and beyond, perhaps even less, and the chance to win a starting job isn’t something either man is likely to find at very many other destinations around the league.

Because Watson recently suffered his second consecutive season-ending injury and has struggled mightily in the minimal time he has been the starter over his Browns tenure, the online sportsbook Bovada listed Cleveland as among the favorites to sign Jones to its QB room.

The Browns are tied with the Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans at +1000 to ink Jones, just slightly behind the Denver Broncos (+850) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (+800), according to Bovada’s odds as listed by the ML Football X account.

The Minnesota Vikings are the second-most likely landing spot for Jones at +300, while the Carolina Panthers came in first at +170.

Daniel Jones Has Enough Physical Tools to Be Worth Flier to Browns

Jones was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 draft and is only 27 years old. And while he struggled this season after suffering an ACL tear that cut his 2023 campaign short by 11 games, Jones has a reasonable record of performance at the game’s top level.

The Duke product has tallied more than 14,500 passing yards, 70 TDs and 47 INTs over his six years in the NFL. At 6-feet, 5-inches tall and 230 pounds, he is a dual-threat quarterback who has rushed the football 399 times for 2,179 yards (5.5 yards per attempt) and 15 scores.

Jones has played in 70 games, starting 69 of those, and has a record of 24-44-1 as a starter. He is 1-1 as a postseason starter, besting the Vikings on the road over Super Wildcard Weekend following the 2022 season before losing the eventual NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles in the next round.

Browns Have Multiple Decisions to Make at QB Outside of Deshaun Watson

Jones’ primary value to the Browns is two-fold. First, he’s not Watson. Second, he should come cheap.

Cleveland’s value to Jones is that the franchise can offer him a chance to compete for a starting job on a team that made the playoffs last year as the AFC’s top wildcard entrant and could reasonably bounce back into contention with a healthier offensive line and reasonable quarterback play next season.

The Browns can also offer Jones a chance to rebuild his value, while most teams will probably look at Jones as a backup option heading into 2025.

Watson carries a $73 million salary cap hit in each of the next two seasons, so it will be tough for the Browns to pay for other QBs. One will likely be a veteran, meaning either the return of Winston or possibly the addition of a player such as Jones.

Third-string signal caller Dorian Thompson-Robinson has had two good preseasons, but the 2023 fifth-round pick has failed to capitalize on the opportunities the team has given him to start both last year and this season. The Browns also profile as a franchise that could select a quarterback in the first round next April and would pick No. 7 overall if the league held the draft today.