Who Should I Start? Deshaun Watson or Daniel Jones

Saturday, December 6, 9:14 PM

The Cleveland Browns are planning to keep quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) on their roster next season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. While Watson is considered unlikely to play this season as he continues to recover from a torn Achilles that required multiple surgeries, the team has expressed interest in keeping him on the roster, noting that the 30-year-old's veteran presence is valuable for their pair of rookie quarterbacks in Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. Another big reason Watson is expected to return is due to the fact that the Browns would have to take on a dead salary of close to $135 million if they released him before June 1 and a $53 million cap charge if he was designated as a post-June 1 cap casualty. The record for dead-cap money was set by the Denver Broncos with quarterback Russell Wilson at $85 million, which they split into two years, but releasing Watson would cost the Browns significantly more. With Watson set to return in 2026, he's expected to compete with Sanders and Gabriel for Cleveland's starting gig.

Monday, December 8, 2:20 PM

An MRI on Monday officially confirmed that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) has torn his Achilles and will miss the rest of the season. Jones suffered the non-contact injury in the first quarter of a Week 14 loss to the Jaguars and was replaced by 6th-round rookie Riley Leonard. Anthony Richardson Sr. (eye) remains on IR and has not been cleared for football activities after a Week 6 pregame incident with a resistance band fractured his orbital bone, requiring surgery. Heading into Sunday, the only other quarterback in the building was practice squad veteran Brett Rypien, so the team is expected to add additional depth before a Week 15 matchup with the Seahawks. Playing over 75% of the Colts' offensive snaps on Sunday, Leonard threw for 145 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception, while adding five yards and a rushing touchdown on the ground. With an unenviable schedule against the Seahawks, 49ers, and Jaguars, pass catchers Alec Pierce, Michael Pittman Jr., and Tyler Warren suddenly become less appealing plays for the fantasy playoffs, while Jonathan Taylor will likely be tasked with handling an even larger workload down the stretch.