The Cleveland Browns are in the forgettably familiar spot at the bottom of the AFC North, but they don’t have misfortune to blame . Trading for and committing to quarterback Deshaun Watson was a mess of their own making.
Now, the No. 2 overall pick is the biggest piece in reinjecting optimism to a team with no quarterback, an unenviable cap situation, and potentially one less All-World edge rusher than it had in 2024.
However, Cleveland isn’t guaranteed to take a quarterback with its first-round pick. If Myles Garrett is in fact traded, edge rusher Abdul Carter could be his replacement. Colorado receiver/corner Travis Hunter makes sense, too.
Thus, the trade market might provide some assistance. As Clutch Points recently discussed, one Kirk Cousins trade rumor could solve the Browns’ quarterback problem.
“One major factor working in Cleveland’s favor is head coach Kevin Stefanski,” Enzo Flojo wrote. “He is expected to return next season. Stefanski served as Cousins’ offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings from 2018 to 2019. In that span, the veteran QB threw for 7,868 yards, 61 touchdowns, and posted a solid 60.4 QBR. That familiarity could make Cleveland an appealing landing spot for Cousins. His skill set aligns better with Stefanski’s play-action-heavy offense than Watson’s ever did.
“If the Browns make a move for Cousins, it could set up an intriguing quarterback battle while providing them with much-needed stability under center.”
Cleveland cannot assume that Watson will be healthy enough to play in 2025, and after his immense struggles, he shouldn’t see the field anyway. Cousins certainly isn’t without risk, either, but the familiarity with Stefanski is a boon to his chances at rebounding.
Cousins looked hobbled in his first season removed from an Achilles tear. His immobility made the offense predictable and closed several key parts of the playbook. After sustaining an injury to his throwing arm, Cousins put forth the worst month of his career before getting benched for Michael Penix Jr.
However, if ample recovery time can help regain just enough juice to look like the 2023 version of himself, the Browns become much more competent.
The problem, of course, is that trading draft capital for Cousins without seeing him on the practice field is a tough pill to swallow. With several mediocre options available in free agency, Cleveland would be reckless to trade for Cousins and his $180 million contract.
Instead, banking on the Falcons cutting the veteran quarterback and signing him to a league-minimum deal like Russell Wilson did in 2024 would be a better risk/reward balance.
At this point, salvaging 2025 seems like the best-case scenario for the Browns. There aren’t many options besides finding a buy-low option and crossing their fingers, hoping to weather the storm.