NFL insider floats Chiefs QB’s name for Browns amid Deshaun Watson’s $92,000,000 contract dilemma

A former Pro Bowl quarterback may be on the move for a fifth time in five years. Carson Wentz spent last season as the backup to Patrick Mahomes in the Kansas City Chiefs’ run to the Super Bowl, signing a one-year deal with them last April.

The former Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles is being linked to the Cleveland Browns, who are trying to solve a significant issue concerning Deshaun Watson and his $92 million contract.

Wentz is unlikely to step in and be the starter. However, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano, he could be added to the Browns as an insurance policy, with Cleveland expected to select a quarterback at No. 2 in the NFL draft. The team will likely choose Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders with the second overall pick, with Wentz possibly playing behind whoever is picked on the depth chart next season.

Other veteran names rumored to join the Browns include the Atlanta Falcons’ Kirk Cousins and former New York Giants starter Daniel Jones, who finished the 2024 season as the backup to Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings.

Watson has two years left on his contract, which is fully guaranteed for each year at $46 million, but there’s concern about his health, as he’s had to have his Achilles tendon repaired twice in the past five months.

Since leaving Philly at the end of the 2020 season, Wentz has played for the Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders, LA Rams and Kansas City.

Carson Wentz's salary could be appealing

It seems like Carson Wentz’s days as an NFL starter are long gone, but given the wages the Cleveland Browns could offer him and his experience, it may be a worthwhile signing.

Last year, per Spotrac, Wentz made just over $3 million, including a signing bonus of nearly $1 million ($990,000). That would probably make him a much bigger bargain than Kirk Cousins, who signed a four-year $180 million deal for Atlanta ahead of last season. Daniel Jones got a $160 million contract for four years with the New York Giants in 2023.

Overthecap.com has the Browns with just over $22 million worth of cap space, so they have to spend their money wisely, and Wentz may be the best option for that.

In his only game behind center for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024, Wentz was 12 of 19 for 118 yards in a loss to the Denver Broncos. He did make a brief appearance against the Browns that season, replacing an injured Mahomes in Week 15 when KC beat Cleveland 21-7.