# Garrett Podell: Podell argues Cleveland's Week 2 win with Deshaun Watson was fool's gold, and that the Browns will inevitably part ways with him — voiding his contract when the new league year opens rather than keeping him long term.

**Claimed:** Sep 21, 2026
**Pundit:** Garrett Podell — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/garrett-podell
**Outlet:** CBS Sports — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/cbs-sports
**How it reached us:** published in writing
**Original:** https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/browns-deshaun-watson-win-over-bucs-was-the-worst-thing-for-cleveland/

One checkable claim, graded on its own against what actually happened.

Nothing to score yet: this grades once the result is in.

> Every win and glimmer of offensive production with Watson is fool's gold that only delays the inevitable divorce between him and the Browns.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Deshaun Watson to move — “inevitable divorce between him and the Browns (contract voided with a post-June 1 designation at the start of the new league year)”**
  - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Deshaun Watson
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Deshaun Watson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/deshaun-watson

## What others said about the same people

- Jacob Richard on Deshaun Watson: Richard predicts the Browns will keep Deshaun Watson as their starter through the season, that Shedeur Sanders will get a handful of starts, and that Dillon Gabriel is the most likely of the four quarterbacks to be moved off the roster. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/833363b9-6043-48f9-8636-76b2da931669 (scored 0)
- Matt Severance on Deshaun Watson: The CBS Sports preview backs Tampa Bay to beat Cleveland in the Bucs' Week 2 home opener, and states that Deshaun Watson — not Shedeur Sanders — will be Cleveland's starting quarterback in Week 2. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/944568ce-7205-409f-8354-a392016fd8bf (scored 100)
- Rafael Zamorano on Deshaun Watson: Zamorano reports Watson will start Week 2 at Tampa Bay and suggests there's little reason to expect improvement, raising the possibility Watson's five-year contract never yields more than single-digit wins. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d7d7e0a2-61e0-4525-970b-b01a2356f11b (scored 100)
- Tyler Sullivan on Deshaun Watson: An unsigned CBS Sports preseason review grading all 32 teams, which along the way stakes out a number of depth-chart calls for Week 1 and beyond — including Deshaun Watson opening as Cleveland's starter, Fernando Mendoza taking over as Las Vegas' QB1 by season's end, and Minnesota's Murray-Wentz-McCarthy quarterback order. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/054d7c3e-baca-4414-b3dd-72c4eced2725 (scored 100)
- Ryan Wilson on Deshaun Watson: A CBS Sports piece states Deshaun Watson has won Cleveland's starting quarterback job for Week 1 with Shedeur Sanders next in line, while arguing Watson will not play like even an average NFL quarterback and that none of the Browns' current young passers should stop them from drafting a first-round quarterback next April. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ff870e69-9992-4166-aa81-9b49d6f77f55 (scored 100)
- Rafael Zamorano on Deshaun Watson: Zamorano argues the Browns do not have a franchise quarterback and that it's unlikely Watson or Sanders is their long-term answer. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/80cb396b-8dbf-4e39-bd65-6d25df403db1 (scored 100)

## More trade and signing calls

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

- Fox Sports on Austin Ekeler: The piece reports, citing ESPN, that Carolina is expected to sign veteran running back Austin Ekeler with Jonathon Brooks sidelined. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a3aa7c15-e643-4c03-85d9-10aef8b4085a (scored 0)
- Steve Kubitza on Za'Darius Smith: Kubitza suggests that Kevin Stefanski's Falcons may lure veteran pass rusher Za'Darius Smith away from Cleveland, signing him in Atlanta instead of the Browns. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/54fca826-8644-4e76-bc3f-5d8d44bcca23 (scored 100)
- Mary Kay Cabot on Za'Darius Smith: Cabot reported that Za'Darius Smith is expected to sign with the Browns, possibly as early as Sunday, after working out for the team. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3eb50e55-cb33-43c3-a427-d47904beb7bb (scored 0)
- Brandon Carney on Austin Ekeler: Carney drafted a team of rookies he expects to make an immediate fantasy impact (headlined by Karnell Tate and Makai Lemon), predicted landing spots for the remaining big-name free agents, and gave way-too-early division winners, wild cards and award picks — Patriots, Chargers, Bengals, Jaguars, Eagles, Rams, Vikings and Saints as division champs with Joe Burrow as MVP. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c4d477da-4fb8-4a25-a904-c5057a249a70 (scored 0)
- Adam Carlson on J.J. McCarthy: Carlson names three Vikings he expects could be traded before the end of September: quarterback J.J. McCarthy, wide receiver Jordan Addison and linebacker Ivan Pace. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/65e3f9cf-c441-42a2-baaf-7cd3dbebafad (scored 100)
- Greg Auman on J.J. McCarthy: Auman argues no quarterback is likely to replicate Sam Darnold's turnaround this season, but names five candidates. He expects Miami to hold a very high pick in the 2027 draft, and thinks J.J. McCarthy will eventually be traded for a late-round pick or cut by the Vikings. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/9b8eb78e-ddfa-4274-ac8f-17b069e6b87f (scored 100)

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Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages.

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