In many ways, the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns are mirror images of one another. One orange-helmeted team from Ohio with "CB" initials is an offensive juggernaut that can't stop a nosebleed, while the other is a vicious defense that remains anchored down by horrible quarterback play. More of the same may be in play during the 2026 season.
As the Bengals move forward with another year led by the exceptional Joe Burrow, the Browns are so tied down by their albatross Deshaun Watson contract that Todd Monken is giving him a chance to win the QB1 job as he battles it out with Shedeur Sanders. Cleveland's commitment to Watson is part of the reason they won't catch Cincinnati this season.
In Bleacher Report's confirmation of the painfully obvious, Watson's five-year, $230 million contract was deemed the worst in the entire NFL, as he has thrown just 19 touchdown passes while being mired in a concerning legal fight that has made him one of the most reviled athletes in sports today. That alone will prevent Cleveland from making noise in the AFC North.
Bengals fans can laugh at Browns as Deshaun Watson contract named NFL's worst
Watson hasn't thrown more than 10 touchdowns in a season since his final year with the Houston Texans prior to the trade. His anemic production was bad enough for Browns fans (and morbidly delightful for Bengals fans) to sit through, but with an Achilles tear costing him a year and a half of play, this contract may be the worst in American team sports at the moment.
On top of that, Watson's name ranks among the most reviled in NFL history due to his litany of sexual assault accusations. There is no material benefit to playing Watson, especially on a young team that seemed to get a bit of a spark when Shedeur Sanders came in, but the sunk cost is keeping him around.
In a division where the Bengals need to compete with a Ravens team that will always be a contender as long as Lamar Jackson is healthy and a Steelers franchise that seems to grind out wins right when everyone gives up on them, Cincy can take assurance in Cleveland's franchise-altering Watson trade relegating them to the bottom of the standings.
The Browns will eventually be free of this contract, which the owner has publicly apologized for, and the Bengals need to build Burrow a defense worth writing home about before that happens.
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