Deshaun Watson is down to his last chance to keep the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback job.
The veteran heads into Sunday’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a decision on his future looming. According to Ian Rapoport’s report for ESPN, Cleveland is expected to evaluate its quarterback situation after the game, potentially opening the door for Shedeur Sanders to take over in Week 3.
“Deshaun Watson will make his second straight start on the road to open the season for the Browns — and after that, Cleveland will make its evaluation,” Rapoport said. “While no firm decision has been made for Week 3, the belief is that the first two games would serve as a natural evaluation point. In other words, the Browns could use the return to Cleveland for their Week 3 home opener and a two-game sample size as the impetus for a quarterback change.”
Watson needs a performance that gives coach Todd Monken a reason to stick with him. A win over Baker Mayfield, the quarterback Cleveland pushed aside to acquire Watson, would help considerably. Another loss accompanied by poor quarterback play could make the decision much easier.
Watson finished the opener against Jacksonville with 205 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. Monken stayed with him after reviewing the film, but Rapoport’s report suggests that support does not guarantee him the next start.
Shedeur Sanders Could Get Another Browns Opportunity
Sanders would bring his own questions to the job, but also give Cleveland a chance to evaluate a younger quarterback with room to grow.
The 2025 fifth-round pick went 3-4 in seven starts as a rookie. He finished with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, completing 56.6% of his throws. Those numbers left plenty of room for improvement as he entered a competition under a new coaching staff.
His preseason was uneven. Sanders completed 6 of 11 passes for 79 yards and an interception against Chicago. He followed that with a more efficient outing against Buffalo, going 9 of 11 for 74 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Monken ultimately chose Watson to open the season, although he had praised Sanders’ progress during the offseason.
“I think Shedeur has come miles in terms of his progressions, getting the ball out, his understanding of concepts. I think he’s really, really come a long way,” Monken said.
Replacing Watson would give him a chance to strengthen his case for 2027, but it would hardly settle Cleveland’s long-term quarterback question.
Deshaun Watson Could Face More Than a Benching
Losing the Browns job after two games could put Watson’s entire NFL future in doubt. He entered this season having gone 9-11 in 20 starts for Cleveland, with 20 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. He missed all of 2025 recovering from two Achilles injuries and is now in the final season of his fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract.
The case for another team taking a chance would be difficult to make. Watson’s recent performance and injury history offer little assurance, while a signing would renew scrutiny of his off-field issues.
Even a backup role could be a hard sell. A team would have to believe the football value outweighed the public backlash, and an early benching in Cleveland would further weaken that argument.
Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com has suggested the Browns consider going beyond removing Watson from the lineup if they reach that point.
“They should consider letting him leave Cleveland once he’s benched to get his head and body back together,” Cabot said.
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