Going back to the spring, when it was clear that the Cleveland Browns would be making no new veteran additions to the team’s quarterback room, and would not be drafting a player who had a chance to compete for the starting job right away, speculation advanced that the job would be given to Deshaun Watson. That would come to pass, it seemed, despite the fact that Watson is coming off surgery for a torn Achilles tendon–make that two surgeries–and had not played since October 2024.
The Browns had a young candidate, 24-year-old Shedeur Sanders, on the roster, and Sanders had looked rough but showed promise in seven starts for Cleveland in 2025. There was a quarterback competition set up for Sanders and Watson, though the cynical among observers accused the Browns of running a rigged competition, with orders from above pushing Watson as QB1.
Browns Have Deshaun Watson in Final Contract Year
Indeed, conspiracy theories increasingly cropped up suggesting that the Browns wanted Watson to start as a reputation-saving move: This team traded away three first-round picks for Watson in 2022, and gave him $230 million in guaranteed money. Watson is in the last year of his deal. That means he has one last chance to show he was something close to worth the risk.
It also would mean that coach Todd Monken, just brought in to revive the moribund Browns offense, had no say in who was going to start the year–that it was owner Jimmy Haslam and/or general manager Andrew Berry who was making the call on Watson.
Berry: Browns Left Decision to Todd Monken
Except Berry says that is just not true. The theory gained credence after Watson was given the Browns starting job, even after a miserable performance in the second preseason game in which he was booed and slapped back at fans in his press conference after the loss. It sure smelled like a preordained decision, not one made by Monken based on observation.
But, Berry told Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com: “Lineup decisions have always been under the head coach’s control,” texted Berry. “That is not different for Todd. We always discuss a range of things pertaining to the players on our roster or players we might potentially acquire.
“Part of the head coach/GM relationship is to serve as a sounding board or counsel to one another. In terms of which players are on the field and how they are deployed, we have great faith in Todd to have the final call on those sorts of things as he brings our vision to life.”
Will Deshaun Watson Make it To Week 3?
Now, the focus among many Browns fans and observers has been on just how long of a “leash” the team will have on Watson. The Browns open the season with two road games, in Jacksonville and in Tampa Bay. If they struggle, will Monken pull Watson out before returning home to face the boos of the Huntington Bank Field crowd?
Berry addressed that as well.
“That (fans booing) is something he’s going to have to uniquely deal with,” he told Pluto. “He’d be the first to admit he didn’t handle it well in that moment. You don’t have to be defined by a moment of weakness or by your mistake. …
“Deshaun is physically healthy and brings a level of experience, mobility and off-script playmaking that is attractive,” said Berry. “He is resolved to play good football, very focused. That’s what the fans want to see – giving us a chance to win and scoring points.”
Browns GM Shuts Down DeShaun Watson Accusations