Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken announced Monday that Deshaun Watson will continue as the team's starting quarterback, despite a significant season-opening loss. However, Monken indicated that the patience for this decision has an approaching end, likely after the Week 3 game against the Carolina Panthers.
Monken stated that after reviewing game film of the 34-10 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars, he saw enough from Watson, who was playing in his first game in 693 days, to keep him in the starting position for the upcoming matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He noted that Watson had only received all the team's practice repetitions for the past two weeks, following an earlier quarterback competition in training camp between Watson and Shedeur Sanders.
"There were some really good things on film... and there were some others that operationally we got to get better at," Monken said. "There's concepts that, you know, there's only so many looks you get from week to week... And I did think that when he had time, when he understood the concepts, he didn't play tentative, that he let it rip."
Despite these remarks, Watson's tenure as the starter is not guaranteed indefinitely. Multiple NFL sources suggest that ownership will consider external circumstances, potentially leading to a change unless significant improvement is demonstrated against the Buccaneers.
Potential Pressures
Circumstances working against Watson include the Browns' upcoming opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield was the Browns' No. 1 draft pick in 2018 before being traded in July 2022, ending a contentious four-year tenure. The Browns acquired Watson from Houston in March 2022, effectively ending Mayfield's time with the team. Mayfield has since found success with the Buccaneers, while Watson's performance with the Browns has been considered a disappointment, adding potential embarrassment for the team if Mayfield were to outperform Watson.
A more immediate pressure point could be the Browns' home opener in Week 3 against the Panthers. Watson faced boos from fans during the preseason, and his criticism of the fans following an Aug. 22 preseason game led him to believe he would feel like he was playing 17 road games. The potential for a hostile reception from the home crowd, combined with an uninspiring start to the regular season, could create an untenable situation.
"We got to play better around him. We got to call it better," Monken said. "And he's going to play better."