By Field Level Media
Aug 24 (Field Level Media) – New Browns head coach Todd Monken opted to stay the course in Cleveland andwill start Deshaun Watson at quarterback in Week 1 of the regular season.
“Took in the full body of work over the course of offseason to training campto the games and the joint practice, and ultimately, felt like to start theseason on the road, Deshaun gave us the best chance to move the ball and scorepoints,” Monken said Monday. “And that’s really what it’s about. I felt thatway going into the last game, but wasn’t sure. And after we talked as a staffand after we re-looked at everything, we’re going to let it rip.”
Watson and Shedeur Sanders competed for the starting job in training camp,rotating reps with the first-team offense in practice and preseason games.
The Browns begin the 2026 regular season with two road games: Sept. 13 at theJacksonville Jaguars and the following week at Tampa Bay. Cleveland’s firsthome game is Sept. 27 against the Carolina Panthers.
Despite reports the Browns were considering holding Sanders in the backup roleuntil the home opener, Monken said Monday he’s not entering into a “week-to-week thing” and expects Watson to excel.
“Again, I think Shedeur has done a great job, come a long ways, and we’reexcited about his future. But this is not a week-to-week decision,” he said.
Cleveland covets stability at the position, and Watson was viewed as thepotential answer when he was acquired from the Houston Texans prior to the2022 season. As part of the trade, Watson signed a five-year, $230 millioncontract. But after starting his tenure with the team serving a suspension, hehas been hindered by injuries and is just 9-10 as a starter in Cleveland. Hehasn’t played more than seven games in any of his four seasons with theBrowns.
Watson did not play last season while recovering from two surgeries to repairhis Achilles. Watson tore his right Achilles tendon in October 2024 and arecurrence of the same injury during rehab prompted a second operation.
Sanders, a fifth-round pick in 2025, was thrown into the lineup as a rookie.With Watson on injured reserve all season, the Browns began the season withJoe Flacco as the starter but traded him to the Cincinnati Bengals. DillonGabriel, a third-round rookie in 2025, was named the starter but Sanders tookover in November. He had seven touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in eightgames.
Watson likely needs a strong start to the regular season to win back a fanbase that appears to be running out of patience. Watson was showered with boosby home fans during Saturday’s preseason game and said it was “personal.” Heplayed the second half against Buffalo and completed 5 of 12 passes for 36yards and an interception
“It’s a little bit (more) personal than that. So I think it’s a disrespectfulthing,” Watson said of being booed at home. “So yeah, I mean, I’m going tokeep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel aboutthat. And yeah, just move on.”
Watson, who turns 31 the day after the Week 1 opener, used time with the mediaMonday to walk back some of his views on Browns fans.
“… I think my emotions got the best of me,” Watson said. “My comments wasn’tintended to go at any of the fans around the city, because there’s been a lotof great fans that have been supporting me.”
Monken, hired to replace Kevin Stefanski, is a first-time head coach afterserving as the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator for the last threeseasons. He said Watson and the Browns can avoid being booed at home byplaying better, but also offered his perspective on Watson’s response.
“I see the competitor in him. I see the everyday work he puts in, and he wantsto be back,” Monken said. “He wants to get back to where he was as best hecan, and that’s hard. And again, I think the moment just got him after thegame, and it can get all of us.”
(–Field Level Media)
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