Deshaun Watson did little to silence the critics in his first start back from a torn Achilles.
The winner of the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback battle had a rough 2026 debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Watson, 30, threw an interception on his third pass attempt of the game
. Other than one nice touchdown throw to rookie Denzel Boston, the quarterback did not improve much from the rough beginning as the Browns lost 34-10 and fell to 0-1.The Sept. 13 game was Watson's first start back since Oct. 20, 2024, when he ruptured his Achilles in a Week 7 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The veteran quarterback re-tore the same Achilles in January of last year, leading him to miss the entire 2025 season.
terrible INT on third pass attempt of season
Heading into 2026, new Browns head coach Todd Monken made Watson earn his starting job back. The former first-round pick had to compete with second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders in training camp and the preseason to win the QB1 gig. Despite a mixed bag of results from both quarterbacks, Monken opted to have Watson start Week 1.
Outside of Watson, Cleveland has three other quarterbacks on its roster: Sanders, rookie Taylen Green and second-year Dillon Gabriel, who opened the season on injured reserve with a back injury.
Deshaun Watson Week 1 stats vs Jaguars
Watson's first start since 2024 was uneven. Here's how it looked by the numbers:
- Completion rate: 16-for-22 (72.7%)
- Passing yards: 205
- Yards per attempt: 9.3
- Touchdowns: 1
- Interceptions: 1
- Sacks taken (yards lost): 5 (20)
- Passer rating: 97.7
- Rushing: Six carries for 38 yards (6.3 yards per carry)
Watson led all Browns rushers with his 38 yards on the ground. His five sacks included two on back-to-back plays in the red zone on third and fourth down, resulting in the lone turnover on downs of the game.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Deshaun Watson uneven in first start since 2024: Week 1 stats
