Cleveland Browns fans have no choice but to come to terms with the fact that Deshaun Watson is their starting quarterback. That is not the outcome they wanted at all, for a litany of reasons, even before Watson made some churlish comments about them after the first home preseason game.
They will likely see their much preferred choice, Shedeur Sanders, as the starter at some point this season, but for now, it will be Watson behind center in Week 1 at the Jacksonville Jaguars. Some fans may never root for him, based on his disreputable past, but they still want the Browns to win games.
Analyst Anthony Lima is urging fans to see the Watson situation differently and draw some solace from the fact that it may be perfectly fine with the rest of the team.
“I do think we have to divorce ourselves from a lot of the negativity surrounding Watson. In that building, they do think it’s pretty cool that he is coming back. I do think that it has to paint a very different picture of what’s going on in the building. The conversation we are having in this city is not the same conversation they’re having in that locker room,” Lima said.
"I do think we have to divorce ourselves from a lot of the negativity surrounding Watson…the conversation we are having in this city is not the conversation is not the same conversation they're having in that locker room."
🚨 @SportsBoyTony to @KenCarman on how the storyline… pic.twitter.com/Hmm3LNoZ9Y
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 28, 2026
The NFL has always had its fair share of dubious players who have been accepted by their teammates as long as they can help them win football games. It may not be the most palatable scenario for them and fans alike, but that is just the reality of the league.
The Browns may benefit from having so many young players who were not with Watson during his most difficult time dealing with multiple sexual assault allegations. While they surely are aware of his past, it does not register with them the same way it does with fans who have watched the entire unsightly episode play out over the past four years. Instead, they see someone who has worked for almost two years to come back after some devastating injuries.
Cleveland also has a new head coach who had no prior connection to Watson. Todd Monken has waited his entire career for this NFL opportunity, and if he believes Watson is the best person to run his offense, well, that’s the decision he’s going to make.
Granted, the next two weeks until the Sept. 13 opener would have a much different feel if Sanders were QB1, but once the season begins, the results on the field are likely all that are going to matter to anyone.
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