Deshaun Watson just let out his true feelings on Bucs QB Baker Mayfield before the Browns face their former No. 1 overall pick
Deshaun Watson and the Browns will try to get the best of Cleveland’s former No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield on Sunday. Ahead of the Week 2 game, Watson made it clear how he feels about Tampa Bay’s quarterback.
Week 2 of the NFL season brings the Cleveland Browns to Tampa Bay for a matchup with clear storylines, even if neither team started the season how they wanted to.
Deshaun Watson and the Browns travel to face Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers on Sunday, marking Cleveland’s second straight game in Florida after getting blown out by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the season opener.
Watson will make his second start since returning from the Achilles injury he suffered in 2024, and he needs a significant leap from the quarterback play he showed in Week 1.
Deshaun Watson speaks on Baker Mayfield ahead of Sunday’s game
When Watson takes the field this time, he’ll be trying to outplay the Browns’ former No. 1 overall pick. Mayfield recently signed a three-year contract extension with the Buccaneers worth $165 million, and the contrast between the two quarterbacks since Cleveland pushed Mayfield out in favor of Watson back in 2022 could not be sharper.
Mayfield has been the far superior quarterback over that stretch. Watson hasn’t played in more than seven games for the Browns in a single season since the trade was made nearly half a decade ago. The two have been on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to production, durability, and team success.
Ahead of Sunday’s game, Watson was asked about Mayfield and offered his thoughts on the Buccaneers quarterback.
“My main focus is trying to figure out what their defense is doing, so we can find ways to be successful and get points,” Watson stated. “So, as far as that, you know, I respect Baker and everything he did ever since college. We’ve been playing against each other since college, so he’s a hell of a player, hell of a quarterback, and you know, they paid him for a reason.”
That’s the response you’d expect from Watson. He’s not going to say anything out of line about a player who has clearly outperformed him since the trade, and a player many Browns fans wish was still in Cleveland given how the Watson era has played out.
Deshaun Watson’s margin for error is shrinking
Watson has a chance to bounce back after a Week 1 performance against the Jaguars where he turned the ball over and took five sacks. If Watson continues to play at a poor level, it’s tough to see the Browns sending him out as the starter in front of a home fan base that has not been shy about booing him off the field when he struggles; they already made their feelings known during the preseason.
Cleveland returns home in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers, and how Watson performs Sunday could go a long way toward determining whether he’s still the starter when that game arrives.
The Browns are getting a motivated Mayfield on Sunday. He brings that every time he faces Cleveland because of how the breakup went when he was traded to Carolina back in 2022. That said, Mayfield didn’t play his best in Week 1 either, losing three fumbles against the Cincinnati Bengals in a loss.
It will be worth watching whether the Browns can get the best of their former quarterback on Sunday. If they do, it’s going to take a major jump in Watson’s play from Week 1 to Week 2.
