It’s hard to believe that Deshaun Watson is going to get a good night’s sleep with what is on deck for him Saturday afternoon. The veteran quarterback is about to play in a game for the first time in almost two years, with the added pressure of trying to prove that he deserves to be the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback this season.
It will be a highly scrutinized return no matter which way it goes. Ideally, Watson will look comfortable and play well while emerging from the game healthy.
With Watson projected to play the entire first half, analyst Jay Crawford set some modest expectations for him against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
“I expect that he’ll be a bit clunky. I expect he may have some early overthrows. I wouldn’t be surprised if he threw a pick on an overthrow at some point early in his time. But by the end of it, I expect to see him get into a rhythm,” Crawford said.
.@JaycrawfordCLE sets his expectations of what he wants to see and don’t want to see from Deshaun Watson in first game for the #Browns since 2024https://t.co/6arFjZOZ65 pic.twitter.com/JpmHduAgFs
— Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show (@ultCLEsports) August 14, 2026
After being sidelined since October 2024 with an Achilles injury, Watson has progressed to the point he was named the starter for Cleveland’s preseason opener. After making “tremendous strides” during training camp, his past week of practice has given him a slight lead over Shedeur Sanders in the Browns’ ongoing quarterback competition.
That could change significantly one way or another based on his performance Saturday. If he fails to adapt after so much time off, it could turn bad very quickly, which is why Crawford is adamant that the Browns’ first offensive series cannot be a three-and-out.
“It is demoralizing, if after all of this camp, you go out there and run three plays and are going right back to the bench,” Crawford said.
That also puts a lot of pressure on Cleveland head coach Todd Monken, who will be running an NFL sideline for the first time. He has been waiting his entire career for this opportunity, but he may have to err on the side of caution with his play calling to guarantee that Watson has some early success.
Sanders is expected to take over the offense in the third quarter, and Monken has already said he will be the starter next week against the Buffalo Bills. It will be interesting to see if any of those plans change based on Saturday’s results.
But no matter what happens, Watson does deserve considerable credit for working his way back to the field after facing so many obstacles.
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