Erik Drost. CC BY 2.0 · source

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Browns name Deshaun Watson starting quarterback for 2026

Todd Monken chose Watson over Shedeur Sanders for the Sept. 13 opener at Jacksonville, saying the veteran gave Cleveland the best chance to move the ball on the road.

First-year Browns coach Todd Monken named Deshaun Watson the Week 1 starter over Shedeur Sanders for the Sept. 13 game at Jacksonville, citing a full body of work and the best chance to move the ball and score points on the road. Monken said the job is not week-to-week and that Saturday's home boos and Watson's postgame remarks did not factor. Watson said his emotions got the best of him; ESPN, NFL.com and CBS described an apology, while the News-Herald said he did not apologize. Sanders will back up. Neither will play Thursday's preseason finale.

Shared facts

Deshaun Watson will be Cleveland's starter to begin the 2026 season.

Monken made it official Aug. 24 that Watson will start Sept. 13 at Jacksonville.

Monken said Watson gave the best chance to move the ball and score points to start on the road.

Monken said the Browns are not anticipating a week-to-week thing.

Second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders will begin as the backup.

Monken said Watson was ahead of Sanders over camp and the offseason.

Monken said Sanders has closed the gap and the focus is Week 1.

Watson said the booing felt disrespectful and unrelated to performance.

Monken said the battle was tightly contested and both performed well.

On Aug. 23 Monken said Watson's remarks would not factor, and they did not.

Monken praised Sanders' work and said this is not a week-to-week decision.

Watson said he had no idea until he talked with Monken Monday.

Watson said this is what he had been working for for two years.

Neither Watson nor Sanders will play the Aug. 27 preseason finale against New England.

Watson started preseason Week 1 with starters; Sanders started Week 2 with mostly backups.

Monken announced the decision less than 48 hours after Watson criticized fans who booed him Aug. 22.

He missed the end of 2024 and all of 2025 after rupturing, then re-rupturing, his Achilles.

Watson said his emotions got the best of him and the comments were not aimed at city fans.

Monken told the quarterbacks separately, Watson first and then Sanders.

Against the Bears Watson completed 11 of 15 for 126 yards and lost a fumble.

The Browns gave Watson a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract.

Monken said fans do not decide who plays.

Cleveland plays Jacksonville then Tampa Bay on the road before Carolina at home in Week 3.

Cleveland traded three firsts, a third and two fourths to Houston for Watson and a sixth.

Watson has appeared in just 19 games since the trade.

USA Today said he alluded to it being more personal, seemingly referencing 2021 lawsuits from more than two dozen women.

Sanders was a 2025 fifth-round pick.

Two Texas grand juries declined criminal charges.

Cleveland drafted Dillon Gabriel in the third round in 2025 before Sanders in the fifth.

Watson sat out 2021 and was suspended the first 11 games of 2022.

This is the final year of Watson's contract.

All 27 lawsuits have been settled, withdrawn or dismissed, and Watson has maintained his innocence.

A shoulder injury and surgery cost Watson the final nine games of 2023.

Disputed facts

The News-Herald said Watson addressed the remarks but did not apologize.

Watson called fans disrespectful and cited those who cheered his Oct. 20, 2024 Achilles injury.

Watson went 5 of 12 for 35 yards and an interception against backups while being booed.

Shared opinions

NFL.com said Watson fell well short of his all-star form and dealt with injuries.

Cleveland Browns

Deshaun Watson named Browns' starting quarterback

Kelsey Russo

24 Aug 2026

Facts

Watson was strip-sacked on fourth-and-1 against the Bears, setting up a Chicago score.

Rookie WR KC Concepcion scored the Browns' only touchdown against the Bears on a jet sweep set up by Watson.

A Watson-led drive against the Bears ended with a 50-yard field goal by Andre Szmyt.

Watson completed a 43-yard play to running back Dylan Sampson against the Bears.

Against the Bills, Watson started the second half and played through early in the fourth quarter.

In the joint practice Watson had two big completions to Concepcion in 11-on-11.

Watson threw a red-zone touchdown to tight end Blake Whiteheart in the joint practice.

Monken said the Browns are only halfway through training camp and have not game-planned in the preseason.

"Ultimately, we felt over the course of training camp and the offseason that he was ahead of Shedeur," Monken said. "Shedeur has closed that gap, for sure, and that's a credit to him, and we look forward to Shedeur continuing to grow as a player. But ultimately, we're about week one. That's all it's about; week one, putting our best foot forward over the next three weeks. As I said the other day, we're only halfway through training camp, still have this week, got next week, got the whole game prep for Jacksonville. We really haven't game-planned anybody in the preseason, so our ability to game plan and get ready for Jacksonville; I'm looking forward to it."

attribution · Todd Monken

Opinion

No opinion marked.

ESPN

Deshaun Watson named Browns' QB1, says he regrets fan comments

Daniel Oyefusi

24 Aug 2026

Facts

Watson is 9-10 as Cleveland's starting quarterback.

Watson's Browns QBR is 33.1, last if he had enough starts to qualify.

Watson paid a $5 million fine and completed a treatment program under a 2022 NFL-NFLPA settlement.

Watson said the investment has not produced yet and he wants to take responsibility for this chance.

"It was a big investment, and we haven't got the product out of that investment just so far," Watson said Monday. "And I have another shot. I have another chance. So I want to make sure I take full responsibility of this opportunity."

attribution · Deshaun Watson

Opinion

ESPN called Watson a polarizing figure in Cleveland since the 2022 trade.

Watson has been a polarizing figure in Cleveland since the Browns traded three first-round picks to the Houston Texans to acquire him in March 2022 and gave him a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions.

center · pluralist

NFL.com

Browns name Deshaun Watson starting QB for Week 1 of 2026 season

Grant Gordon

24 Aug 2026

Facts

Watson completed 16 of 27 preseason passes for 162 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.

Sanders completed 15 of 22 preseason passes for 153 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Watson played the second half of a 31-7 preseason loss to Buffalo.

Some in the crowd cheered Watson's exit on the day he tore his Achilles.

Sanders ended last season as Cleveland's starter.

The Jaguars game is only Watson's third Week 1 start after missing 2022 and 2025 openers.

Watson was a three-time Pro Bowler with Houston and won a passing title in 2020.

Watson requested a trade from Houston and was inactive all of 2021.

Watson played only seven games in 2024, then two Achilles surgeries cost him all of last season.

Cleveland has a $40.9 million cap hit this season on the deal.

Opinion

NFL.com called the choice likely unpopular and Monken's most important so far.

NFL.com said many view the contract as an albatross for the franchise.

CBS News

Browns name Deshaun Watson starter days after he called out fans: Veteran QB beats out Shedeur Sanders

Zachary Pereles and Matt Zenitz

24 Aug 2026

Facts

Watson re-tore his Achilles in early January 2025 and missed all of last year.

The Cleveland Browns have named Deshaun Watson the starter for the team's season opener at the Jaguars, beating out Shedeur Sanders for the starting role, per CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz. It will be Watson's first game since Oct. 10, 2024, when he tore his Achilles. He re-tore his Achilles in early January 2025, causing him to miss all of last year.

fact

From 2022 to 2024 Watson ranked near the bottom of 44 quarterbacks in completion rate, net yards per attempt, sack rate and EPA per dropback.

From 2022 to 2024, Watson ranked 40th of 44 quarterbacks in completion percentage at 61.2 percent, 43rd in net yards per attempt at 5.4, 43rd in sack rate at 11.2 percent, and 43rd in EPA per dropback at minus-0.19.

fact

Cleveland overhauled the offensive line with four new starters and drafted receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.

The Browns hope an improved supporting cast helps lift Watson. Cleveland overhauled its offensive line, bringing in four new starters, and drafted wide receiver KC Concepcion in the first round and wide receiver Denzel Boston in the second round. Both have impressed in training camp and are expected to start right away. The Browns also return tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and running back Quinshon Judkins after both had impressive rookie years.

fact

Opinion

CBS called Watson a monumental disappointment in Cleveland.

CBS said the acquisition has been regarded as one of the worst in major professional sports history.

CBS said Watson was among the NFL's worst quarterbacks when on the field.

Watson did not play at all in his final season in Houston (2021) and was suspended for the first 11 games of 2022 after being traded to Cleveland. In total, he has appeared in just 19 games since the trade, and he was among the NFL's worst quarterbacks when on the field.

center · pluralist

CBS said Watson's experience and work in similar offenses were keys.

Watson's experience and ability to function in the offense were also keys; after all, he has been in far more NFL offenses, including those with more parallels to Monken's. Furthermore, Watson impressed this offseason with his approach and work ethic, per "NFL on CBS" sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala.

center · pluralist

Aditi Kinkhabwala said this is the best Watson has been mentally in the years she has covered him.

"In all the years I have been around Deshaun Watson, this is the best that he is mentally," Kinkhabwala told 92.3 The Fan last week. "The space that he is in right now, his focus, the way that he stayed in Cleveland all summer, went to work quietly every day, didn't ask anything of any of the staff in the building at all, was simply focused on living with his wife and working on football and his rehab. Just the conversations I have with him on the side -- different."

attribution · Aditi Kinkhabwala

USA Today

Why did the Browns name Deshaun Watson starter? Todd Monken explains

Jack McKessy

24 Aug 2026

Facts

Monken made the announcement official Monday, Aug. 24.

Monken said the Browns expect Watson to play well or they would not start him.

Sanders started seven games as a rookie.

Sanders, 24, started seven games for Cleveland as a rookie last season. He finished the year with a 56.6% completion rate, 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Sanders was also a late addition to the AFC Pro Bowl roster as an alternate for players who were either injured or declined to participate.

fact

Watson, 30, has not started for Cleveland since 2024.

Monken did not address the full team after naming Watson.

Sanders' rookie line was 56.6% completions, 1,400 yards, seven TDs and 10 interceptions.

Sanders, 24, started seven games for Cleveland as a rookie last season. He finished the year with a 56.6% completion rate, 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Sanders was also a late addition to the AFC Pro Bowl roster as an alternate for players who were either injured or declined to participate.

fact

The Browns drafted Taylen Green of Arkansas in the sixth round this year.

The Browns also have two other quarterbacks on their roster outside of Watson and Sanders. They drafted Oregon product Dillon Gabriel in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft before taking Sanders in the fifth round the same year. Cleveland also drafted Taylen Green out of Arkansas in the sixth round this year. Gabriel played in 10 games and started six as a rookie. But the Browns' 2026 quarterback battle was clearly a two-horse race between Watson and Sanders.

fact

Monken said he understands Watson but that they are pros who have to play.

"I don't like being booed either. … On one side, I 100% understand where Deshaun is coming from," Monken said. "But ultimately, we're pros. We gotta put on a good product. We gotta play. You gotta pull your big boy pants up and let's go play."

attribution · Todd Monken

Monken said he has seen no indication Watson cannot bounce back.

Monken said playing good football is how to turn around fan sentiment.

Monken indicated that the best way for Watson and the Browns to turn around negative fan sentiment is by "playing good football." So far, the veteran quarterback's first four seasons with the Browns have been marred by injuries and poor performance. They've been a far cry from his four strong years in Houston to begin his career.

fact

Opinion

USA Today said the Browns do not view the job as temporary and there is no short leash.

Watson's job as the starter also isn't something the Browns view as temporary. There is no short leash to begin the season with Sanders waiting in the wings. Monken said that the team is "not anticipating" the starting quarterback situation to change on a week-to-week basis.

center · pluralist

The News-Herald

Todd Monken on naming Deshaun Watson Browns starting QB: 'Deshaun gave us best chance to score points'

Jeff Schudel

24 Aug 2026

Facts

Monken, in his first year, did not coach Watson's first four Cleveland seasons.

Monken said possible Week 3 home-opener fan reaction was not a factor.

Monken during a Zoom conference Aug. 23 said Watson's remarks would not factor into his decision. Obviously, they didn't, but Monken said he addressed the issue in his discussion with Watson. Monken said how the fans might receive Watson in the home opener Sept. 27 vs. the Carolina Panthers if Watson is still the starter was not a factor in his decision.

"Absolutely not. Zero," Monken said. "There was nothing to do with that. Ultimately, the fans want us to win. Put a good product on the field. That's really what they want. "I understand their frustration. But ultimately they don't decide who plays. I mean, who would I be if I let someone outside of the building decide who plays?"

fact

Watson has never played more than seven games in a season in four years in Cleveland.

He has not played a regular-season game since the Achilles injury 22 months ago.

Monken said Sanders was awesome when told and understands the long game.

"I think Shedeur has done a great job, come a long way, and we're excited about his future, but this is not a week-to-week decision," Monken said. "He was awesome (when told Watson won the job). I mean, you talk about somebody that really understands the long game. "Where do we want to be in the long term? He understands that as well as any quarterback. Where he was at, where he's at now, where he wants to get to. That's what's so awesome about Shedeur understanding that. This is a player who's going to work his butt off to get better, and he already has."

attribution · Todd Monken

Opinion

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