Who will the Cleveland Browns quarterback be next season? That seems to be the question for the Browns after Deshaun Watson suffered another Achilles injury and had a second surgery that will require him to miss most of 2025.
Cleveland doesn’t have much money to spend, but if the front office can find a way to get creative, the Browns might be able to make something happen. Holding the No. 2 pick in the draft, the Browns could also go that way if they don’t find the money to spend on any free agent quarterback they want.
But to Jarrett Bailey of The Sporting News, that wouldn’t be the ideal offseason for the Browns. For the Browns to have the “perfect offseason,” Bailey believes that would see them sign Sam Darnold of the Minnesota Vikings.
“The former third overall pick out of USC had a resurrection year in 2024, throwing for over 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns while leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 record…
“We’ve seen Kevin Stefanski squeeze every drop of juice out of quarterbacks before. He’s won games with the likes of P.J. Walker, Jacoby Brissett, and of course rode the magic carpet of Joe Flacco to the playoffs in 2023. At the absolute minimum, Darnold is worlds better than any quarterback the Browns shoved onto the field in 2024. At most, he can continue producing and building off a career year with a two-time Coach of the Year running the show,” Bailey wrote on January 9.
Browns Only Option is To Improve the Quarterback Situation
The Cleveland Browns having Watson and Darnold on the roster would see them have much of their cap into two players. Depending on the contract Darnold signs, there might not be a realistic path to signing him.
However, after a rough showing during the last few weeks of the season and in the Minnesota Vikings playoff loss, that price could be different. Still, the Browns would have to make many moves to even get in the ballpark for Darnold.
Mike Luciano of the Viking Age believes the Browns best way to improve is by taking a chance on Darnold, adding that he could be an option if Cleveland doesn’t find a franchise quarterback in the draft.
“The Browns may not want two expensive quarterback contracts on their ledger after the Deshaun Watson debacle, but there is no better way to improve at the position in a brutal division than making a run at Darnold. If the Browns aren’t sold on a young quarterback in the draft, expect Darnold to get some attention,” Luciano wrote on January 14.
Will Darnold still Get Paid?
Darnold’s future seems to be one of the biggest questions of the offseason. The Minnesota Vikings have J.J. McCarthy, who they drafted with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, waiting in the wing for his chance.
However, despite the rough showing in recent weeks, Darnold still led the Vikings to a 14-win season. That could be an issue for the Cleveland Browns if they want him, but it’s also why they should be looking at him. Darnold found ways to win games, and the Browns need to start doing more of that in the future.
The Vikings will have a tough decision to make, but Ben Solak of ESPN believes Minnesota will eventually pay him.
“I really, truly believe the Vikings will extend Darnold. They have the room for something in the Daniel Jones neighborhood — four years, $160 million is probably optimal, if they can get Darnold to sign that before another team in the free market offers him a whale of a deal. Depending on the size of the contract, they’ll either keep McCarthy or quietly look to trade him ahead of a bad quarterback draft class and see if a needy team takes the bait,” Solak wrote on January 12.
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