Browns

Browns HC Todd Monken Will Give QB Deshaun Watson Chance To Earn Starting Role

February 25, 2026

Browns QB Deshaun Watson has had a tumultuous time in Cleveland, but HC Todd Monken said he’s not writing off Watson to earn their starting job.

“Anytime you have a player that at one time has exhibited that skill set at an elite level, you’re always going to give them the benefit of the doubt that somehow we might be able to get that out of them again. And I think that’s how you should look at every player… I’m going to let it play out,” Monken said, via Spencer German.

Earlier this week, Monken also said that he was “intrigued” by the possibility of working with Watson.

“I’m excited to get started with the guys that we have in the room now, and then looking to add to that possibly,” Monken said, via Mary Kay Cabot. “You’ve got to have a quarterback to give yourself a chance to win in this league. We know that. You also have to have good players around them to really get it going. So I’m excited about Shedeur, Deshaun, Dillon and who else we might add to that in terms of competition to really have this offense take off.”

Watson is under contract through the 2026 season and is currently scheduled to carry a cap hit of over $80 million next year.

Watson, 30, was taken in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Clemson by the Texans. He signed a four-year, $13.854 million rookie deal with the Texans that included a fifth-year option of around $17.3 million for the 2021 season.

The Texans later signed Watson to a four-year extension worth as much as $177 million heading into the 2020 season, paying him $39 million a year. However, Watson requested a trade after the season, then sat out the entire 2021 season while navigating more than two dozen lawsuits for sexual misconduct. He was later suspended for 11 games.

Watson was traded to the Browns for significant draft compensation in 2022 and signed a five-year, $230 million, fully guaranteed contract as part of the trade. The deal runs through 2026 and includes base salaries of $46 million in each of the final two seasons.

In 2024, Watson appeared in seven games for the Browns and completed 63.4 percent of his pass attempts for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He added 31 carries for 148 yards and another score.