After a poor showing in Week 1, Deshaun Watson received a vote of confidence from Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken, who said he saw, “Some really good things on film.” Because of that, Watson will start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2.
But his time in that role could be limited, because the Browns will reportedly re-evaluate the position after Week 2, per ESPN.
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The team reportedly views the first two games as a “natural evaluation point,” per ESPN. That’s a curious stance after Monken publicly showed support for Watson after Week 1 and claimed he made his decision based on re-watching the game film.
But the Browns have a handful of reasons to already make the change at quarterback. Watson has struggled mightily since joining the Browns in 2022. Week 1 was no exception, as the quarterback threw an interception and fumbled in the team’s 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Those struggles have led to the Browns’ fanbase turning on Watson. The fans let everyone know as much in the preseason, when Watson was booed during a home game. He didn’t take too kindly to that reaction, calling it “disrespectful.”
After opening the 2026 NFL season with two road games, the Browns will play their first home game in Week 3. If Watson starts that contest, he could once again be showered in boos by Browns fans.
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Despite the vote of confidence after Week 1, there was already a sense Watson’s time as the team’s starter was short lived. When asked how important it was to put up strong numbers in Week 2 ahead of the team’s home game in Week 3, Watson said the media was to blame for holding him to a high standard.
“I think the media has this expectation that I’m supposed to throw for 400 yards and five touchdowns every week. Until that happens, I guess it’s going to be the same situation. My job is to make sure I’m operating well so we can try to get a win and keep moving forward from there.”
The quote was yet another example of Watson’s opinion being out of touch with reality.
Browns could replace Deshaun Watson with Shedeur Sanders
If the Browns do make a change for Week 3, Shedeur Sanders would presumably be the next man up. Sanders and Watson battled for the team’s starting job over the offseason, and Sanders is listed second on the team’s depth chart at quarterback.
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The 24-year-old had promising moments as a rookie last year, but mostly struggled, tossing seven touchdowns against 10 interceptions over seven starts. That was, somehow, good enough to make the Pro Bowl.
While Sanders’ NFL future is murky, the Browns have every incentive to see if he can play now. The team is desperate for stability at quarterback, especially after investing in offensive skill players in the past few drafts.
If Sanders has made a leap, the Browns could have an answer at the position long term. If not, the team at least knows it has to aggressively pursue a new passer in the offseason. Starting Watson doesn’t answer that question. It just keeps the team stuck in neutral.
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Barring a superstar performance in Week 2, it certainly seems like Watson’s time as the team’s starter is nearing its end.
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