The Cleveland Browns’ Week 2 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a step in the right direction for the 2026 season. Deshaun Watson played some of the best ball he’s ever played in a Browns uniform. Watson completed 24-of-30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. 

Watson didn’t turn the ball over while being sacked twice, a significant improvement from being sacked five times in the first game during a blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Cleveland named Watson the starting quarterback over Shedeur Sanders to begin the season, and plenty of fans weren’t on board with that decision. Watson may not have a future with the team after this season with his contract set to be up. 

The veteran QB playing well in Week 2 was critical because it seemed like his back was against the wall, and the Browns could have turned to Sanders as soon as Week 3 in the home opener against the Carolina Panthers.

When he needed to, Watson stepped up and played well. It’s worth noting this was just his second game back since the Achilles injury in 2024, so he’s really starting to ramp up again.

Todd Monken likes what he’s seeing from Deshaun Watson

That’s the sentiment Browns head coach Todd Monken shared after the win. 

“I’m happy for Deshaun, the way he’s played, and I expect improvement, and I expect continued improvement,” Monken said. “I mean, there’s a lot of football left in him, he just hasn’t played in a while. And learning our system and trying to get him consistent with his drops and his reads is part of the process. He’s like every player. I see him as a young player. I know people don’t want to see it that way, and I haven’t been here, but I see him as still a very young player that is going to continue to grow.”

Monken calling Watson a young player is notable. Watson is 31 years old, but he’s really only played three full seasons in the NFL. He’s never played more than seven games in any of the other four seasons he’s participated in, and that doesn’t include the 2021 and 2025 seasons where he did not play at all.

Watson was a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and has only played in 75 games since then. Just 21 of those games have come with Cleveland despite being with the team since 2022, when the Browns sent a haul of draft picks and gave him a fully guaranteed contract.

Week 3 home opener could be a telling moment for Watson

Week 3 against the Panthers will be the home opener for Watson, and it could be a telling stretch of the season. He’s going to be back in front of a home fan base that booed him in the preseason, a home fan base that hasn’t really seen him play well in person in quite some time. 

If Watson can go out and play well again, he’ll put himself in a pretty good spot to control the quarterback job for this season, barring an injury or a revert back to bad play. The key is consistent good play. Cleveland needs to see what Watson did against the Buccaneers carry over against the Panthers this week before anyone can truly believe a corner has been turned in any way.