Who Should I Start? Deshaun Watson or Justin Herbert

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, 4:18 PM

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (hand) was cleared from the injury report Friday and is good to go for Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Herbert broke his left hand during the Chargers' Week 13 win over the Raiders and played through the injury last week against the Eagles. The team will continue to manage his reps during practice, but he isn't expected to miss any game action. The 27-year-old signal-caller wasn't at his best in the overtime win over the Eagles, completing just 12 of 26 passes for 139 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while adding 10 carries for 66 yards. He took a career-high seven sacks as he continues to operate behind a makeshift offensive line. Herbert's fantasy upside is capped due to his injury while working with poor protection from his offensive line. He profiles more as a QB2 in the Week 15 divisional matchup against the Chiefs on the road.