Signs Slamming Deshaun Watson Placed Outside Huntington Bank Field
Deshaun Watson won the job on his overall body of work, and Shedeur Sanders handled the decision well, Monken said.
- On Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken named Deshaun Watson the starting quarterback for Week 1, officially ending the months-long competition with Shedeur Sanders.
- Monken cited the Browns' challenging early schedule—consecutive road games at Jacksonville and Tampa Bay—as the primary reason for selecting Watson, saying he gives the team the best chance to "move the ball and score points."
- Following his return from a 2024 Achilles injury, Watson competed with Sanders throughout the offseason and training camp while navigating significant fan tension at home games.
- Sanders will begin the season as the backup, though Monken emphasized the team is "not anticipating" the quarterback situation to change on a week-to-week basis.
- ESPN insider Field Yates suggested the decision signals the Browns' long-term quarterback is not currently on the roster, as the team holds extra 2027 draft capital to pursue top prospects.
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18 Articles
The Cleveland Browns make the controversial quarterback Deshaun Watson the starter again after almost two years of forced break. Prior to that, he hears shouts of his own fans and at the same time gives himself eaten up and unrealistic at the same time. Now the collective nightmare is coming to an end.
Insider Delivers Bad News About Shedeur Sanders' Future
(Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) The Cleveland Browns’ decision to name Deshaun Watson the Week 1 starter had plenty of reaction, but ESPN insider Field Yates believes the move signals a bigger message about what the Browns really think of their quarterback room. Yates believes the announcement is another indication that Cleveland does not yet view its long-term answer at the position as currently on the roster. That interpretation creates…
Why did the Browns choose Deshaun Watson as their starter? Camp report
BEREA, Ohio — The Browns named Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback on Monday, two days after Watson railed against fans booing him. Head coach Todd Monken said the decision isn’t just for Week 1 in Jacksonville.
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