Who Should I Start? Deshaun Watson or Justin Fields

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.

Friday, December 12, 12:33 PM

New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (knee) has been ruled out for the second straight week when the team travels to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars this Sunday, according to the New York Post's Brian Costello. Veteran QB Tyrod Taylor (groin) will also sit out, leaving rookie Brady Cook to make his first career start in Week 15. Cook will have one fewer weapon to work with on offense, with the Jets also ruling out rookie tight end Mason Taylor (neck). The 26-year-old Fields' disappointing first season in the Big Apple continues. Fields took care of the football, but he didn't do much else in nine starts for Gang Green this year before being benched for Taylor. In his nine games, Fields completed only 62.7% of his 204 pass attempts for 1,259 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception. He added 383 rushing yards and four scores on 71 carries. It's unclear if he'll have a chance to start any of the final three games of the season.