‘You Will Get Yanked’ — Former NFL MVP Warns Deshaun Watson About Job Security Despite $230M Contract
· Yahoo Sports
The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition has drawn plenty of attention this offseason, with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders battling for the starting job. While Cleveland has kept the decision open publicly, Watson’s experience and contract make him the early favorite to open the season as QB1.
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Still, former NFL MVP Cam Newton believes the money should have little influence on the Browns’ final decision.
Cam Newton Feels Deshaun Watson’s $230M Contract Will Not Guarantee a Starting Role
Speaking on his “4th&1” podcast, Newton backed Watson to start but stressed that the veteran must keep earning the job once the season begins.
“Deshaun Watson is going to start for the Cleveland Browns this year, day one,”Newton said. “But in no stretch of the imagination are the Cleveland Browns obligated to ride it out throughout the year if he doesn’t go back to Andrew Berry’s top three reasons why we will choose our quarterback: Wins, performance, production.”
Then, Newton explains that Watson’s massive contract will not protect him if his play fails to meet those standards. Cleveland may have invested heavily in the quarterback, but Newton argued that production must remain the deciding factor throughout the competition.
“Money does matter here, but don’t get jaded by the money, because if you think that money that we [are] giving you is going to automatically solidify or cement your seat in the front seat, no, no, no, no, no, right there,” he said. “You will get tapped on your shoulder. If you disregard the tap, you will get yanked.”
According to Spotrac, Watson signed a five-year, $230 million contract with the Browns, featuring a $44,965,000 signing bonus and an average annual salary of $46 million.
In 2026, he will earn a $1,300,000 base salary and a $44,700,000 restructure bonus, while carrying a $40,959,128 cap hit and $127,165,992 in dead money.
Still, Newton believes the Browns want more than an expensive quarterback. They want someone the team can fight for, scream for, yell for, and celebrate.
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Now, Watson heads into Saturday’s game while working his way back from another major injury. He tore his Achilles against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7 of 2024 and managed only seven appearances that season.
Watson struggled badly before the injury. According to PFN’s QB Impact Metric, he recorded the NFL’s lowest QB Impact Score that year. He also became the only qualified quarterback to post an impact score below 60.0.
As a result, his home-field return carries plenty of weight in Cleveland’s quarterback battle.
Watson missed the entire 2025 season, forcing Cleveland to add more competition at the position. The Browns selected Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, both quarterbacks landed among the bottom three in last year’s QB Impact rankings.
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That leaves Cleveland with an unsettled group despite the investment.
However, first-year coach Todd Monken appears to lean toward Watson as his preferred option. The preseason numbers also give him reason to stay with that plan.
Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards against the Chicago Bears and posted a 98.2 passer rating. Sanders, meanwhile, completed 6 of 11 attempts for 79 yards, threw an interception, and finished with a 39.6 rating.
Now, Sanders will get the start on Saturday, while Watson will enter later in the game. This setup will give Cleveland another chance to compare both quarterbacks under pressure.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.