Few people understand the AFC North better than those who spent years battling inside it. Former players who lived through those rivalries tend to see the division differently, and they are often quicker to recognize when a team has turned a corner. The Browns have spent the last few weeks winning over doubters one close game at a time. After Thursday night’s victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chad Johnson made it clear he was never one of them.
Johnson weighed in on why he believes it’s time to take the Browns seriously.
“It was time to take the Browns serious a long time ago. That’s what I said. There was no competition all along. They enjoyed the circus. Deshaun was starting the entire time. The fact that he makes $46 million a year, many didn’t realize that they weren’t going to cut him. They weren’t going to cut him. They were going to give him an opportunity to prove himself. If it wasn’t to be the future quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, it would be a quarterback somewhere else. If they don’t start the season at least 1-1 or 2-0, he’d be benched by Week 3. And what has happened now? They’re 3-1 going into Week 4. And Deshaun Watson is playing very, very well,” Johnson said.
Deshaun Watson leads the Browns past the Steelers and lead the AFC North! Who saw this coming?! 👀@ShannonSharpe | @ochocinco | @TheJoeJohnson7 | #Nightcap pic.twitter.com/arZsYUsGlB
— Nightcap (@NightcapShow_) October 2, 2026
Johnson’s take on the quarterback competition will raise some eyebrows. Todd Monken treated the job as an open battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders throughout the summer, and the debate dominated the conversation around the team for weeks.
Still, his point about the money is hard to dismiss. Releasing Watson would have left the Browns with a massive financial hit and nothing to show for it. Giving him the first opportunity made practical sense, whether fans liked it or not.
The early returns did not help his case. Watson was booed during the preseason after missing all of 2025 following multiple Achilles surgeries, and the 34-10 loss in Jacksonville led to national predictions that a benching was coming.
Johnson’s own timeline put the deadline at Week 3. The Browns beat Tampa Bay the following week to get to 1-1, and Watson has not looked back since.
He has led go-ahead drives in the 4th quarter in 3 straight games, and the Browns have won 3 in a row with him under center for the first time since he arrived in 2022. Through 4 games, he has 6 touchdown passes against 2 interceptions.
Thursday was another example. Watson completed 24 of 33 passes for 268 yards, and after the Steelers tied the game with 1:42 left, he moved the offense into range for Andre Szmyt’s 56-yard field goal.
Johnson knows how much wins like that mean in this division. He spent 10 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and earned 6 Pro Bowl selections, so he has seen plenty of AFC North battles up close.
Watson is in the final year of his contract, and every win strengthens his case for a future as a starter, whether that ends up being in Cleveland or somewhere else. Right now, he is giving the Browns plenty to think about.
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