There isn’t a more jacked-up quarterback situation in the NFL than the Cleveland Browns, where they’ve force-fed Deshaun Watson and the worst contract in NFL history back into the starting role over a pair of 2025 draft picks in Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
While that’s bad news for the Browns and their fans, it might be good news for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who return home to face Cleveland after losing on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.
Watson looked about as bad as he’s ever been in a 34-10 season-opening loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, in which he threw an interception on the 1st offensive series, but that doesn’t mean Cleveland head coach Todd Monken is going away from him.
“Browns coach Todd Monken told reporters that QB Deshaun Watson is expected to start Sunday against the Bucs, based on his film review,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account on Monday.
“Browns HC Todd Monken told reporters that he anticipates QB Deshaun Watson will start Sunday at Tampa Bay. Monken said there were some really good things on film,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Monday.
“Browns coach Todd Monken said he ‘anticipates’ Deshaun Watson will start at QB in Week 2 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi wrote on his official X account.
“Browns Todd Monken: ‘I anticipate Deshaun will be our starter’ for the Bucs,” Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot wrote on her official X account.
Bucs Coming Off Awful Performance in Week 1
The Buccaneers are dealing with their only quarterback issues right now.
Just days after signing starter Baker Mayfield to a 3-year, $165 million contract extension that made him 1 of the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks — and he matched that with 3 turnovers that led to 17 points in a 33-27 road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.
“They had 17 points off my turnovers and it was a 1-score game,” Mayfield said after the loss, pointing out the obvious.
Mayfield went 23-of-28 passing for 216 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
“Baker, actually, if you look at his stats, he had a good game,” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said on Sunday night. “But he did like 4 egregiously dumb things, and that’s what ended up getting them.”
Browns Replaced Mayfield With Watson in 2022
Lest we forget, the Browns replaced Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, by trading with the Houston Texans for Watson before the 2022 season.
After Mayfield went 11-5 in former head coach Kevin Stefanski’s 1st season in 2020 and Stefanski was named NFL Coach of the Year, Mayfield went 6-8 in an injury-filled 2021 season.
This relatively mild regression triggered a series of personnel moves that would lead to not only the worst trade in NFL history but also the worst contract in NFL history.
Want to know why the Texans have made the playoffs each of the last 3 seasons? It’s because Stefanski traded Cleveland’s 2022 1st-round pick, 2023 1st-round pick, 2024 1st-round pick, 2023 3rd-round pick, 2022 4th-round pick and 2024 4th-round pick in exchange for Watson, then signed him to a fully guaranteed, 5-year, $230 million contract.
Stefanski left Mayfield in limbo for 4 months before trading him to the Carolina Panthers for a 5th-round pick in July 2022. Mayfield eventually requested his release from the Panthers after going 1-5 as the starter then managed to revamp his career and reputation in a short time with the Los Angeles Rams at the end of the season.
That led to a 1-year, $3 million contract with the Buccaneers in 2023, which led to consecutive Pro Bowl seasons for Mayfield and a 3-year, $100 million contract before the 2024 season.
Watson began his tenure with the Browns by serving an 11-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. In his first 4 seasons in Cleveland, he has missed 49 of a possible 68 regular-season games, including the entire 2025 season with a torn Achilles tendon.
Bucs Get Update on Facing Browns QB Deshaun Watson in Week 2