The Cleveland Browns are naming Deshaun Watson their starting quarterback for Week 1 over second-year standout Shedeur Sanders, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Watson and Sanders had been battling for the starting role throughout training camp. The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback started Cleveland's preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, while Sanders got the starting nod in its second game against the Buffalo Bills. Sanders will now serve as the backup to begin the regular season.
The decision to name Watson the starter comes after the veteran signal-caller struggled in the Browns' second preseason contest. He completed 5 of 12 passes for 35 yards and one interception in four second-half drives. The 30-year-old was met with boos in his first home game since tearing his Achilles in October 2024.
"I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance," Watson said postgame. "It's a little bit (more) personal than that, so I think that's a disrespectful thing."
On Sunday, head coach Todd Monken said that Watson's comments wouldn't factor into his decision regarding the starting job.
"He emptied his heart a little bit, and I don't think that says who he is," Monken said, according to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. "I see the competitor in him. I see the every-day work he puts in, and he wants to be back. He wants to get back to where he was as best he can, and that's hard."
Watson has been a polarizing figure going back to his days with the Houston Texans. Cleveland, which acquired him in March 2022, signed Watson to a five-year, $230-million contract after more than two dozen women accused him of varying degrees of sexual misconduct.
A pair of Texas grand juries declined to pursue criminal charges against Watson, but he served an 11-game suspension before playing his first game with the Browns. He also paid a $5-million fine and completed a treatment program.
Watson didn't play in 2025 after undergoing two surgeries to repair a torn right Achilles tendon. He has been limited to just 19 games in four seasons with Cleveland.
