The Cleveland Browns naming Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback has become about much more than his ability to play the position. The reaction to the decision by head coach Todd Monken has been overwhelmingly negative, primarily because of Watson’s troubled history and his current relationship with the fans.
It also does not align with the future of the franchise. The odds of Watson playing well enough to return next year seem astronomical, especially after watching him struggle in preseason games after being sidelined by injury for almost two years and getting booed by the fan base.
With that in mind, former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum is questioning the Browns’ decision to start Watson, saying Shedeur Sanders is the better choice as an “ascending” player.
“I would not have [picked Deshaun to start]. Todd Monken has more information than I do, but based on what we’ve seen over the last six years, my leaning would be to go with a younger, ascending quarterback based on what he did in college and a little bit of what we saw last year, which was far from perfect, but obviously, Todd Monken saw something that made him decide otherwise,” Tannenbaum said.
"I would not have (picked Deshaun to start). Todd Monken has more information than I do, but based on what we've seen over the last 6 years, my leaning would be to go with a younger, ascending QB."
🚨 @RealTannenbaum w/ @KenCarman and @SportsBoyTony on the #Browns QB decision pic.twitter.com/sutNtaIVX8
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 25, 2026
This quarterback competition may have been graded on a curve, which does not really benefit the Browns. Watson might have been given some leeway in the evaluation because he has not played in an NFL game since tearing his Achilles in October 2024, and he was once a Pro Bowl player a half-decade ago with the Houston Texans.
But it is worth remembering that in the 19 games he was able to play for the Browns over the past four seasons, his QBR of 33.1 would be the worst among active NFL quarterbacks if he had enough starts to qualify. In preseason games against the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills, he did not pose any downfield threat, with a very low air yards per attempt average. He also threw an interception after struggling with them in training camp.
Meanwhile, Sanders showed a better ability to make bigger plays, but he may not have the command of Monken’s system that the coach would like. As Monken was quick to explain, fans aren’t at practice and do not watch film as he does.
Watson may indeed be the better player at this moment, but the margin likely isn’t great enough to justify giving him this chance while denying Sanders the playing time that would be much more valuable to him and the franchise overall.
NEXT: Emmanuel Acho Rips Browns For 'Irrational' QB Situation
