Deshaun Watson was officially named the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback Monday, and he opened his first news conference as QB1 by walking back the comments he made Saturday when he called fans “disrespectful” for booing him during the team’s second preseason game.
He said his emotions got the best of him after the game and that his words were not intended to go at fans, many of whom he credited with supporting him throughout a difficult period. He said he understands the frustration, acknowledging that the organization made a significant investment to bring him back in 2022 and that things have not gone in the right direction since, between injuries, time missed and inconsistent play. He said he wants to take full responsibility for the opportunity he still has and focus on putting the best product on the field.
Head coach Todd Monken made the announcement Monday and said the decision would not be week-to-week. He evaluated the full body of work from the offseason through training camp and both preseason games and determined that Watson gives the team the best chance to move the ball and score points on the road to open the season.
How the competition went
Watson won a quarterback competition with second-year player Shedeur Sanders, a 2025 fifth-round pick. Sanders will serve as Watson’s backup. The competition began during offseason workouts and extended through both preseason games, with Watson starting the opener against the Chicago Bears, where he completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards and lost a fumble, and Sanders starting Saturday’s game against the Eagles.
In his second preseason start Saturday, Watson completed 5 of 12 passes for 35 yards with one interception across four second-half drives and was met with audible boos. His postgame comments in which he called that reception disrespectful prompted Monken to say Sunday that those comments would not factor into the decision.
He has a 9-10 record as the team’s starting quarterback. His career Total QBR of 33.1 since joining the Browns in 2022 ranks second to last among the 50 quarterbacks with at least 15 starts during that period, above only Will Levis.
The injury history
His past two seasons as the Browns’ starter each ended early due to injury. In 2023, Watson underwent season-ending surgery following a displaced fracture of the glenoid in his right throwing shoulder, missing the team’s final nine regular season games and their playoff loss to the Houston Texans. In 2025, he did not play at all after undergoing two surgeries for a torn right Achilles tendon sustained in October 2024.
The Browns traded three first-round picks to acquire Watson from the Houston Texans in March 2022 and gave him a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. The acquisition came after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions. Two Texas grand juries declined to pursue criminal charges against Watson the week before the trade, but he served an 11-game suspension to begin his tenure and paid a $5 million fine after the NFL and NFL Players Association reached a settlement in August 2022.
What comes next
The Browns open the regular season on the road at Jacksonville in Week 1, followed by a road game at Tampa Bay in Week 2, before hosting the Carolina Panthers in Week 3. Monken said starters, including Watson and Sanders, will not play in Thursday’s preseason finale at home against the New England Patriots. Quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green will handle that game.
He said he has another shot, another chance, and intends to take full responsibility for it.
