The Cleveland Browns and Deshaun Watson experiment has been a complete and utter disaster. Between poor play and multiple injuries, Watson has not been worth the money the Browns paid. That said, Cleveland did guarantee Watson $230 million when they extended him in 2022.
As a result, the Browns restructured Watson's contract multiple times, including right after the 2024 season ended. That contract restructuring, along with Watson's Achilles tear that could reportedly keep him out most of the 2025 season, had led to much speculation about what the team will do at quarterback.
Many expect the Browns to select a quarterback now that the team knows they will be selecting second overall. However, if Cleveland doesn't see the potential of the quarterback that's available at No.2, then signing a free-agent quarterback to be a bridge quarterback for a season may be a better option. A player who fits that bill very nicely is former Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback Cooper Rush.
JT TD!@rush_cooper finds @Jalen8Tolbert for six
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Cooper Rush for 2025 Would Be a Brilliant Move From Browns
Rush is set to hit free agency this offseason. While the Cowboys could look to bring him back, it's not likely to happen, given their cap situation. The 31-year-old quarterback has spent his whole career in Dallas backing up Dak Prescott.
In seven seasons with the Cowboys, Rush has played in 38 regular season games and started 14. In 14 starts, Rush is 9-5, completing 60% of his passes for 2,958 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. This past season, Rush saw his most starts at eight and had a 2:1 touchdown to interceptions ratio with 12 TDS and 5 ints.
So, even though it looks like Rush gives the ball away a bunch, most of his turnovers were prior to this past season. Therefore, Rush would provide a better floor at quarterback than most backups the browns have had the past two seasons. Although his ceiling likely isn't much higher than what he showed this season, Cleveland is likely not posted for a playoff run next season anyway, so having average quarterback play would be welcome.
Furthermore, Rush will not command as much money as other free-agent quarterbacks like Sam Darnold. This allows Cleveland to work around Watson's contract situation.
While a Rush signing would still be met with a side eye from most Browns fans, it's an intriguing option nonetheless.