East Rutherford, NJ December 3, 2023 — Aaron Rodgers of the Jets on the sidelines, late in the second half. The Atlanta Falcons topped the NY Jets 13-8 at MetLife Stadium on December 3, 2023 in East Rutherford, NJ. credits: Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK On Friday afternoon, the Cleveland Browns restructured Deshaun Watson’s contract, signaling that he will be back with some competition in 2025.
It’s increasingly likely that the Browns will have a top-five draft pick, but restructuring Watson gives Cleveland the ability to stay competitive while eating his dead cap hit throughout the next few years.
The Denver Broncos just did this, moving on from Russell Wilson and staying competitive in the AFC because Sean Payton believed in Bo Nix, and it has worked out due to his rookie salary.
But the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft probably does not have a player like Nix. Instead, the Browns could look to acquire Kirk Cousins or Aaron Rodgers, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Both Cousins and Rodgers would likely be an upgrade from Watson, who suffered another season-ending injury when he tore his Achilles in October. Last offseason, it took him all the way up until Week 1 to be a full participant in training camp coming off of his shoulder surgery. Based on that history, it’s unlikely that he could beat out anybody in a camp battle.
The Atlanta Falcons benched Cousins last week. Despite inking a massive four-year deal with the Falcons in free agency, it seemed like Cousins wasn’t long for Atlanta once they drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Before being benched, Cousins looked completely washed after coming off of a torn Achilles of his own. The Browns could add him on a similar one-year deal that the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Russell Wilson to.
The Aaron Rodgers saga in New York has been well documented and reported on. He’s the third player mentioned in this story who has recently ruptured his Achilles. However, prior to Week 17’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills, he still looked the part of a competent quarterback.
The Jets will be hiring a new head coach and general manager after jettisoning Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas from the organization in the midst of this dreadful four-win season. The new regime’s first order of business will be sorting out Rodgers, who still wants to play in the NFL in 2025.
It remains to be determined if the Jets will want Rodgers back. However, rumors on Sunday circulated that wide receiver Garrett Wilson could demand a trade out of New York if they bring back Rodgers. That could influence things.
The Browns need to unturn every stone to bring in competition for Watson, who should never see the field again despite his massive contract. Whether it be via trade, free agency or the draft, the quarterback room in Cleveland will look much different in 2025.
