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,according to multiple media reports Monday.
The team was informed of the decision Monday, the Cleveland Plain Dealerreported.
Watson and Shedeur Sanders competed for the starting job in training camp,rotating reps with the first-team offense in practice and preseason games.
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 three 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.
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.
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 turns 31 the day after the Week 1 opener.
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 every-day work he puts in, and hewants to be back," Monken said. "He wants to get back to where he was as besthe can, 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)
