Browns Naming QB Deshaun Watson Week 1 Starter

Jordan Schultz reports the Browns are naming Deshaun Watson the Week 1 starting quarterback over Shedeur Sanders.

Per Schultz, the decision “truly came down to the end,” and Cleveland ultimately wen with Watson because of his experience. Schultz says Watson will have to continue to earn playing time as the year goes on. 

Watson had been the favorite for most of camp, but some wondered if the race shifted after Watson called boos in the team’s second preseason game personal.

“I think the biggest thing is — I think you guys know too, and I think the whole world knows — it has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said via the Athletic’s Zac Jackson. “It’s a little bit more personal than that. So, I think that’s a disrespectful thing. So, yeah, I’m going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally. … And yeah, just move on.”

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.