Deshaun Watson will open the season as both the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback and one of the team’s captains.
Watson will wear a “C” on his jersey when the Browns face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. Cleveland also selected offensive guard Zion Johnson, cornerback Tyson Campbell, defensive tackle Mason Graham and long snapper Rex Sunahara as captains.
However, those appointments are only for the opener. Head coach Todd Monken plans to rotate captains throughout the season instead of permanently giving the honor to a select group.
“I think we have a fairly young team. I’m not ready to name guys who are permanent for us,” Monken said. “I do think it is cool for guys to go out for the coin toss.”
“Most teams have more leaders than just four guys. I believe that with each game, you reward guys for the week that they’ve had. That’s what we’re going to do.”
For Watson, being selected first carries some significance. The Week 1 matchup will be his first regular season in game in nearly two years. He won a lengthy competition with Shedeur Sanders for the gig.
Weekly Captain Plan Gives Browns Flexibility With Deshaun Watson
The decision to rotate captains also gently avoids a potentially awkward situation for the Browns. Cleveland named Watson the Week 1 starter, but the team has stopped short of making an ironclad commitment to him for the entire season.
Monken said the quarterback decision was not being made on a week-to-week basis, although Watson’s performance will ultimately determine how long he keeps the job.
“Ultimately, we felt over the course of training camp and the offseason that he was ahead of Shedeur,” Monken said when announcing Watson as the starter. “Shedeur has closed that gap, for sure, and that’s a credit to him.”
Watson’s experience operating on the road helped separate him from Sanders. The Browns open with consecutive road games against the Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before returning to Cleveland for their Week 3 home opener.
It is a critical opening stretch for Watson, who is trying to reestablish himself after two years dominated by injuries. Sanders will remain close behind him as the backup and could receive an opportunity if the offense struggles.
Making Watson a permanent captain before seeing how the situation develops could have forced the Browns into an uncomfortable decision later.
Deshaun Watson Embracing Opportunity as Browns Starter
Watson’s NFL future appeared bleak after he re-ruptured his Achilles. However, the former Pro Bowler remains confident he can reestablish himself as a high-level starter.
“This is what I’ve been working for two years is to be able to show that I’m capable of being a starter for one of the 32 organizations in this league,” Watson said on August 24. “It felt good, a lot of excitement. But it comes with a lot of work, too. It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of challenges that I have to continue to overcome, and I just have to continue to work on achieving those victories each and every day so I’m ready and prepared.
“There’s going to be a lot of ups and downs, but at the same time, I’m excited to be a starting quarterback in this league, especially a starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.”
Watson’s recent production offers plenty of reason for skepticism. In his last season on the field, he went 1-6 as a starter while completing 63.4% of his passes for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.
Since joining Cleveland in 2022, Watson has posted a 9-10 record with 3,365 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions across 19 starts.
Browns Announce Deshaun Watson News Ahead of Week 1