The Cleveland Browns are set to announce their starting quarterback on Monday, with Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders set to win the gig. Neither guy has run away with the job, but with head coach Todd Monken wanting to give the rest of his offense some time to get used to playing with whoever the starter will be, he will bring the open competition to a close within the next few hours.
For much of training camp, Watson has been the presumed frontrunner for this gig, but a poor preseason performance against the Buffalo Bills and some controversial comments after the game have seemingly opened the door for Sanders to be named the starter. According to one anonymous NFL general manager, that may be precisely what Watson wants to have happen.
Anonymous GM Claims Deshaun Watson Doesn’t Want to Play for the Browns
Watson hasn’t played since midway through the 2024 campaign after suffering multiple Achilles injuries, but with the Browns not having another surefire starter at their disposal, they decided to give him another shot to find his form. Throughout training camp, Watson has been splitting first-team reps with Sanders, while Dillon Gabriel has slotted in as the No. 3 quarterback.
Up until the preseason contest against Buffalo, this seemed like Watson’s job to lose. But a poor outing (5/12, 36 YDS, 1 INT), and comments made after the game where he complained about getting booed by the team’s fanbase have left many wondering whether or not he’s the right guy for the job.
Cleveland still could very well decide to roll with Watson to begin the year at the very least, but there are a lot of question marks or red flags surrounding him that will make the team wary. Per NFL insider Jason La Canfora of casino.org, one anonymous general manager claimed that he believes Watson simply wants to collect his paycheck from the Browns and sit on the bench in 2026.
“Deshaun Watson’s whiney comments about being booed this weekend are being read around the league as those of a guy who has made about $185m fully guaranteed already in Cleveland to play just 19 football games, not wanting to play this year either and pocket another $45m to watch from the sidelines,” La Canfora wrote. “‘He doesn’t want to play,’ one GM said. I’m not sure owner Jimmy Haslam is going to fall for the ploy.”
Should the Browns Start Deshaun Watson to Begin 2026 Campaign?
GettyDeshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns
The Browns have found themselves stuck in a spot where they cannot win with Watson for years. He is still making an inordinate amount of money ($46 million) in the 2026 campaign, and with his deal being fully guaranteed, it makes no sense for Cleveland to release him at this stage of the game. Watson is going to spend the year with this team; it’s just a matter of whether or not he will actually play.
If the Browns are going to be forced to hold onto Watson, it makes sense to at least see if he has anything left to offer. If he struggles, Cleveland can turn things over to Sanders and move on from Watson at the end of the year. And yet, his massive salary cap hit may not even be enough to convince Monken and the coaching staff to give him one more shot. Regardless, we’ll know exactly what the team’s plans are at the quarterback position within the next few hours.
Anonymous GM Hits Browns With Harsh Deshaun Watson Claim