The Cleveland Browns are in the market for a quarterback this offseason. Deshaun Watson will miss the start of the 2025 season after re-tearing his Achilles tendon and is unlikely to play for the Browns again after the team restructured his contract this week. Cleveland has also been rumored to be interested in a quarterback with the second overall pick in next month’s draft but their 2025 starter is most likely to come from free agency.
With just $12.5 million in cap space, the options for the Browns are limited and one of the top options is likely to come off the market in the next couple of days, leaving Cleveland to search for a new plan at quarterback.
Geno Smith Trade Could Take Sam Darnold Off the Browns’ Free Agent List
The quarterback carousel started spinning on Friday night when the Seattle Seahawks traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. While Smith wasn’t known to be on Cleveland’s radar, it may have a residual effect as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Sam Darnold is unlikely to return to the Minnesota Vikings next season.
With the Geno Smith trade opening a spot in Seattle, Sam Darnold is not expected to return to the #Vikings, who are now focused on other options they’ve been pursuing in recent weeks, sources tell The Insiders.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 8, 2025
Those options include re-signing Daniel Jones, who is mulling… pic.twitter.com/TYhgG9jPhf
With $62.5 million in cap space, the Seahawks could easily give the 27-year-old a multi-year commitment somewhere around Spotrac’s projected market value of $40.1 million.
That price tag was likely outside of the Browns’ budget but had to be under consideration. Playing on a one-year, $10 million deal, Darnold had a career year, completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record.
While back-to-back losses to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams to end the year may have suppressed his value, Darnold has an obvious suitor on the market that was filled with questionable landing spots such as the New York Jets, the New York Giants, the Tennessee Titans, and the Indianapolis Colts.
It also leaves the Browns looking for a cheaper option. The best plan may be to pursue Kirk Cousins due to his previous experience with head coach Kevin Stefanski. But the Browns need him to be released by the Atlanta Falcons in order for that to happen.
The Browns could also look at a similar reclamation project to Darnold, but The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports that Justin Fields is expected to test the market and Pelissero added that Jones is mulling an offer from the Vikings.
With Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry entering a season where their jobs are on the line, they’ll need to find a veteran to stabilize the quarterback position. But with Friday’s news, they can cross one name off the list.