One of the big goals for the 2025 Cleveland Browns was to figure out if the franchise quarterback was already on the roster and could emerge from the group consisting of Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel. After going 5-12 and once again posting one of the lowest scoring outputs in the NFL, it’s still unclear if the answer to that question is a yes or a no.
Watson, Sanders, and Gabriel remain on the roster and the path to bringing in somebody else is murky due to the team being above the salary cap, largely due to Watson’s $80 million cap hit in 2026. Because of the uncertainty, one analyst believes it’s necessary to find a way to make a splash at QB despite the obvious cap constraints.
Jack Duffin recently took to X to discuss the idea of bringing free agent quarterback Malik Willis into the fold. He believes Willis would make sense and is doable even with the cap situation, but noted that it might not make sense for Willis himself.
“The year one cash & year one salary cap hit is likely to be bigger for the player the #Browns select at 6 than whatever Malik Willis gets paid. Money isn’t the issue, why Willis would pick Browns over other team is,” Duffin posted on X.
The year one cash & year one salary cap hit is likely to be bigger for the player the #Browns select at 6 than whatever Malik Willis gets paid.
Money isn’t the issue, why Willis would pick Browns over other team is!
— Jack Duffin (@JackDuffin) February 11, 2026
The QB market this offseason isn’t anything special, and with how much Willis looks to have improved during his time with the Green Bay Packers over the past couple of years, he is in a position to earn himself a nice little bag. There are a few teams, Browns included, who could absolutely see him as a potential starting quarterback who could reach another level and potentially be a sneaky franchise quarterback.
Willis looked like a new QB compared to his time as a rookie with the Tennessee Titans when he filled in for Jordan Love this past season, and with a weak market unfolding, he might be the top prize in free agency. However, Duffin is right because Willis might only get one shot to prove he can be a franchise QB, and risking that one shot on the Browns would be a tough sell when other teams could provide more impressive immediate opportunities.
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