Browns Name Deshaun Watson Starter Over Shedeur Sanders for Season Opener
- Hattiesburg News Staff
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
CLEVELAND, Ohio (THN News) - The Cleveland Browns have settled their quarterback competition, naming Deshaun Watson the starter for the season opener at the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
The decision puts Watson back in line to play his first regular-season game since Oct. 10, 2024, when he tore his Achilles. He later re-tore the tendon in early January 2025, an injury that kept him out for all of last season.
Watson beat out Shedeur Sanders for the job after a preseason competition that featured uneven reps, loud public reaction, and another round of scrutiny around one of the most expensive quarterback bets in NFL history.
Watson gets the nod after a tense preseason
Watson had been viewed as a slight leader for much of the Browns’ quarterback battle. He often received the first reps with the first-team offense, even though the total work with starters appeared to be split more evenly at times.
The preseason schedule also hinted at the pecking order.
Watson started in preseason Week 1 with several starters, while Sanders started in preseason Week 2 with mostly backups. That made the final call less surprising, even if Sanders had a real chance to push the competition deeper.
Browns head coach Monken, in his first year leading the team, said the competition played out in “the best way I thought we could go about it.”
The result is clear now: the Browns Name Deshaun Watson Starter Over Shedeur Sanders for Season Opener, and the team will open the season with the veteran under center.
Quarterback | Preseason role | What it suggested |
Deshaun Watson | Started Week 1 alongside starters | Cleveland still viewed him as the front-runner |
Shedeur Sanders | Started Week 2 with mostly backups | He remained in the race but did not receive the same setup |
Browns staff | Split reps at times | The team wanted a competition, but Watson held the edge |
The Bills game turned up the pressure
The timing of the announcement adds another layer to the story.
Just two days before the reported decision, Watson struggled badly in preseason Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills. He completed 5 of 12 passes for 35 yards with an interception. He played in the third and fourth quarters with, and against, backups.
Browns fans booed during the performance, and Watson responded afterward by criticizing the reaction.
“I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said. “It’s a little bit more personal than that. So, I think it’s a disrespectful thing.”
Those comments ensured the quarterback decision would carry more than football meaning in Cleveland. Watson has not only been fighting for the starting job. He has also been trying to regain trust from a fan base that has seen little return from the franchise’s massive investment.
Sanders falls short in the first decision point
Sanders entered the competition as the more intriguing option for many fans. He brought name recognition, youth, and the possibility of a fresh start at the position.
Still, Cleveland’s handling of the preseason suggested the staff did not view the two quarterbacks as perfectly equal. Watson’s Week 1 start with starters mattered. Sanders’ Week 2 start with mostly backups mattered, too.
That does not mean Sanders is out of the picture. A long NFL season can change depth charts quickly, especially when a starter is returning from serious injury. Watson’s two Achilles injuries add obvious uncertainty, and his recent performance has not quieted questions.
For now, though, Sanders will have to wait.
The Browns’ choice shows that the coaching staff still values Watson’s experience and believes he gives the team its best immediate chance, even with all the concerns attached to the decision.
Cleveland’s Watson trade still hangs over everything
No Browns quarterback decision involving Watson can be separated from the cost of acquiring him.
In 2022, Cleveland traded three first-round picks, a third-round pick, and two fourth-round picks to the Houston Texans for Watson and a sixth-round pick. The Browns then signed him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract.
That deal reset expectations from the start. Watson was not brought in to compete for a job years later. He was brought in to solve the position.
Instead, his Cleveland tenure has been defined by missed time, injury, suspension, inconsistent play, and growing frustration.
Watson did not play during his final season in Houston in 2021. After the trade, he was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 season. Since joining the Browns, he has appeared in just 19 games.
That limited availability is central to the disappointment. The Browns paid a franchise-changing price, then had to keep building around a quarterback who has rarely been on the field.
What this means for the opener at Jacksonville
The season opener at the Jaguars now becomes a major test for Watson and Cleveland’s coaching staff.
Watson will be returning from a long layoff and two Achilles injuries. He will also be playing under heavy scrutiny after a poor preseason outing and pointed comments toward Browns fans.
The Jaguars game will not answer every question about the Browns’ season, but it will offer the first real look at what Watson can still be in this offense.
Cleveland needs more than flashes. The team needs basic stability at quarterback, efficient drives, and fewer plays that put the defense in bad spots. That is especially true on the road in Week 1, where early mistakes can tilt the game quickly.
For Sanders, the next step is different. He needs to stay ready, keep taking second-team reps seriously, and be prepared if circumstances change. Backup quarterbacks often become central figures in the NFL, and Cleveland’s recent history makes that lesson hard to ignore.
The Browns are betting on Watson one more time
The Browns’ decision is not just about the Week 1 depth chart. It is another declaration that the franchise is still tied to Watson, both financially and competitively.
Naming him the starter gives Cleveland the cleanest short-term path. It also exposes the team to the same questions that have followed Watson since the trade: health, performance, public trust, and whether the investment can still produce anything close to the original expectation.
Watson now has the job. The harder part starts in Jacksonville.
If he plays well, the Browns can move forward with a calmer quarterback room. If he struggles, the calls for Sanders will return quickly, and the pressure around one of the NFL’s most debated quarterback situations will only grow.
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