Browns HC Todd Monken has made a huge decision for the Browns, and fans might pushback on this one
Todd Monken has named his starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns’ Week 1 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the decision, there’s potential pushback to be had by some of the fanbase.
The Cleveland Browns have had one of the most interesting quarterback battles in the NFL, and it has finally concluded.
Saturday’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills served as the final evaluation in the starting quarterback battle, and Deshaun Watson did not help his case on the field. He went 5-for-12 for 36 yards passing with one interception. Shedeur Sanders clearly outplayed him, completing 9 of 11 passes for 74 yards. Browns head coach Todd Monken was adamant that naming the starter was going to be a decision based on a collective body of work over the last few months.
Watson will be the Week 1 starter when Cleveland travels to face the Jacksonville Jaguars, first-year head coach Todd Monken announced. The decision marks the biggest call of Monken’s early head coaching tenure and one that is sure to generate plenty of debate among Browns fans who have watched Watson struggle throughout his time in Cleveland.
Deshaun Watson gets the nod despite rough final audition
Watson’s comments after the game about the fans and his feelings toward them made the decision to name him the starter all the more noteworthy. Watson didn’t hold back with his feelings after being booed by fans during Saturday’s preseason game.
“I don’t regret anything in my life,” Watson said of coming to Cleveland. “You know, I think the Lord put me through situations for a reason, so I don’t, I don’t regret anything at all. But you know, I had different thoughts on how it was going to be, but you know, it is what it is. You know, sometimes you know the tables turn, and I’m patient enough because I’m a child of God to you know wait for that time to change.”
There’s going to be a lot of fans who aren’t accepting of this decision. Watson simply hasn’t played well in a Browns uniform and has been nowhere near worth the fully guaranteed contract Cleveland gave him when they acquired him from the Houston Texans. In four seasons with the Browns, Watson has played in just 19 games. His best season came in 2023, when he threw seven passing touchdowns to four interceptions and posted a 5-1 record in six starts before he was lost to injury for the rest of the season.
Browns fans who have been booing Watson in the stands aren’t going away. When Cleveland is home in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers, that will be something the organization has to work through. If Watson goes three-and-out early, you can guarantee at least a section of the crowd will let him hear it. That dynamic between quarterback and fanbase is going to hang over the Browns as long as Watson is under center unless he performs well.
For Sanders, the plan looks to be for him to serve as the backup quarterback. It’s a tough spot for the former fifth-round pick, who had hoped to win the starting job and prove he can be a starter in the NFL. There’s no guarantee he will get another chance at a starting quarterback battle given where he was drafted.
Still, if history has shown us anything, it’s that multiple quarterbacks will play for the Browns this season. Sanders has to be ready to go when his number is called.
