Deshaun Watson's Contract Addressed by Jimmy Haslam as Browns Lead AFC North in NFL Standings

As one of the surprise stories of the NFL season thus far, the Cleveland Browns aren't ready to make any declarations about Deshaun Watson's future with the organization.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam told The Athletic's Jonathan Jones it would be "way premature" to discuss Watson's contract.

"That's way premature to talk about that," Haslam said. "We're just focused on beating the (Tennessee) Titans."

Even though Haslam doesn't want to tip his hand at this point, Jones quoted one NFL source who thinks the "door is wide open" for Watson to remain in Cleveland beyond 2026.

"The door is wide open for him to be with the Browns," the NFL source said. "It's the only line on a starting quarterback job he'll have. And even if you are in position to take one high, or get in position to do so, you're in no rush to play the rookie."

Cleveland is an interesting spot right now with a 4-2 record through six games. There's a tremendous amount of young talent on the roster, including Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, Harold Fannin Jr., Carson Schwesinger and Mason Graham.

The Browns also own two first-round picks in the 2027 draft thanks to the Myles Garrett trade with the Los Angeles Rams. Based on the current draft order, the Rams' pick would be at No. 11 overall.

Despite their strong start, Watson's play still leaves something to be desired. He has been sacked an NFL-high 24 times, is tied for the league lead with six fumbles and ranks 25th out of 33 quarterbacks in QBR. He is 16th out of 21 quarterbacks in EPA per play and 17th out of 21 quarterbacks in success rate (min. 200 plays).

Cleveland has scored more than 21 points once in six games. The Browns have been good in close and late-game situations, with Watson tied for the league lead in game-winning drives at four.

This season marks the final year of Watson's five-year, $230 million contract signed in March 2022 after he was acquired in a trade with the Houston Texans, though he will still count against their cap through 2030 due to void years.

Another argument for the Browns to potentially keep Watson on a new contract is he is set to count $86.2 million in dead money on their 2027 cap, though they can spread that out over two seasons by designating him as a post-June 1 cut before March 13, 2027.

If the Browns could potentially find a way to lower that number, even if they are able to draft a quarterback early in the 2027 draft, it might be financially beneficial to their cap to keep Watson around.

For now, though, the Browns can focus their attention on trying to remain in the mix in a very competitive AFC North. All four teams enter Week 7 with winning records.

Cleveland, by virtue of having wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, is officially in first place going into Sunday. This is the first time since 2014 season the Browns have led the division outright at any point in the season.