The Cleveland Browns made a quarterback choice, of sorts, on Wednesday, telling veteran Deshaun Watson he would be the starter for Saturday afternoon’s game against the Bears in Chicago, with Shedeur Sanders taking over in the second half. It was the expected decision, given the way things had broken in the past week or so, as coach Todd Monken moves toward finally naming a starter with just a month to go before the Week 1 opener in Jacksonville.
Monken made clear that the quarterback competition is not over, and that not only will Sanders get to work the second half against Chicago, but he will also start the team’s next preseason game, on August 22 at home against the Bills.
Monken did not provide any reason for the decision on Watson, saying, “I’ve got to pick somebody,” but there has been some indication he is more comfortable with Watson’s veteran chops than he is with Sanders, a second-year player who still needs work.
Browns Trotting Out Almost Entirely New Offense
Then again, the entire Browns operation still needs work, as Monken is doing what has been a near-impossible task in training camp in Berea: He has been trying to pick a quarterback while also melding a completely remade offensive line with five new starters and two new top-shelf receivers, KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.
The offense’s two best players, running back Quinshon Judkins and tight end Harold Fannin, are second-year guys with just 30 NFL games between them. And all the while, Monken has been trying to install a new offense.
The results have been frustrating, especially in situations in which the Browns need to be quick and organized. By all reports, they have been neither. Monken lit into his players at the end of practice on Monday, and said he later apologized.
Deshaun Watson: Browns Must Show More ‘Professionalism’
Watson spoke to Browns reporters on Wednesday and said that he understood Monken’s outburst. The team has struggled with its pre-snap competence, and that’s an easy way to lose games.
Said Watson: “I think coach is definitely going to be frustrated, because he wants professionalism, and that’s what we strive for, you want a coach that’s striving for that. Even one pre-snap penalty, two pre-snap penalties, might seem small in the grand scheme of things, but those things get you beat, like I mentioned before. …
“I’m very familiar with that, and we’ve got to stay on top of those things, because they’re either going to help you, or they’re going to help you lose a lot of games.”
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It does not sound as if the Browns have been significantly better on those issues under Watson than with Sanders, but Watson’s experience helps. Monken would not reveal why he chose Watson, but it is understandable that he just wants to see how all the new pieces on that side of the ball will function together, and Watson gives him a better chance in that regard.
Watson said that, though he has not played since October 2024 because of two Achilles tendon surgeries, he will have no issues getting back into form: “It’s like riding a bike. It’s just kind of getting back and just playing football, playing free. I think the biggest thing is really mental. My mental side is really just coming in, taking it one day at a time, not worried about what’s going on outside, and just focusing on my opportunities.”
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