Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson pushed back against the notion that he needs a strong showing Sunday versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to keep the No. 1 role for the team's home opener on Sept. 27.
"I think the media has this expectation that I'm supposed to throw 400 yards and five touchdowns every week," Watson said Wednesday, per Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot. "Until that happens, I guess it's going to be the same situation. Again, my job is to make sure I'm playing well so that we can get a win and keep moving forward."
Head coach Todd Monken said Monday that he expects Watson to remain the starting quarterback after he completed 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in Sunday's 34-10 season-opening loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Although Watson wasn't at his previous Pro Bowl level, Monken added that it would be "unfair" to blame the veteran signal-caller for the offensive struggles, according to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi.
Last week's contest marked Watson's first regular-season appearance in 693 days after he tore his Achilles in October 2024 and re-tore it in January 2025, which sidelined him for all of 2025. Despite struggling against the Buffalo Bills in the preseason, Watson beat out Shedeur Sanders in training camp for the Browns' top quarterback role.
Monken reiterated his confidence in Watson when asked Wednesday whether the quarterback needs to prove himself to keep the starting job in Week 3 at home against the Carolina Panthers.
"I always expect our players to play well. I wouldn't put him out there if I didn't," Monken said, per ESPN's Justin Cooper.
In Week 2, Cleveland will face Baker Mayfield, who played for the Browns for four seasons after being the first overall pick in 2018.
Watson, who spent the first four years of his career with the Houston Texans, is 9-11 as Cleveland's starter.
