Unbelievable. Despite throwing the entire Cleveland Browns fanbase under the bus, Deshaun Watson was shockingly named their Week 1 starter. He had a disastrous showing vs. the Buffalo Bills in the Browns' second preseason game of the summer. After completing only 5-of-12 passes for 36 yards and an interception, that was still somehow good enough for him to beat out Shedeur Sanders for it.
Watson is entering the final season of his five-year, $230 million, fully guaranteed contract he signed after being traded over from the Houston Texans ahead of the 2022 NFL season. So far in his Browns career, Watson has gone 9-10 in 19 career starts. He did not play at all in the 2025 season due to an injury or in the 2021 campaign in between teams. No wonder the Browns fans booed him relentlessly.
Just in: Deshaun Watson has been named Cleveland’s starting quarterback for week 1 at Jacksonville. pic.twitter.com/34BNUahkXs
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2026
News of Watson being anointed the starter thrusts the Browns into one of the worst quarterback positions imaginable. Not only are they rolling with a despised player who is no longer great, but they are further alienating the best quarterback on their roster in Sanders. It almost feels as though new head coach Todd Monken's hand was forced by ownership here, even though he will never admit it.
This is more evidence that players and coaches never tank, but organizations will shamelessly do it.
Deshaun Watson named Cleveland Browns starting QB ahead of Week 1
We are so far removed from Watson being a legend at Clemson. For as sensational as he was playing for Dabo Swinney and during his first few years in the league at Houston, that has completely gone to the wayside since COVID. There has not been a player who has done more irreparable damage to his reputation over that same span. And of course, the Browns' fans are being saddled with this disaster.
Right now, we have to accept this is about one thing, and one thing only: Money. Since Jimmy Haslam is still on the hook for the final year of Watson's albatross of a contract, he is going to make his team eat it before pivoting off him next spring. That has been telegraphed to us for quite some time now. Even if Monken is convincing himself that he is behind this move, he is not calling the shots here.
For now, Watson will be getting one last, undeserved chance to be the Browns' starting quarterback. When he has been out there, he has been debatably at a starting level. It may have more to do with Kevin Stefanski being a better head coach than people ever gave him credit for. After being run out of town, he will try to make things work with the Atlanta Falcons and their tough quarterback situation.
At this time, the Browns are telling us something, so we better believe them. They have no interest in winning games this season. It is all about eventually getting off Watson's contract and being in a bad enough position to draft his successor near the top of next year's NFL Draft. The problem with that logic is we all will have to endure it before we get there, further alienating Cleveland supporters.
Watson may be the Week 1 starter, but it would be shocking to see him start all 17 games this year.
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