Deshaun Watson Gets Honest About His Performance On Saturday

The Cleveland Browns got crushed 34-10 on Sunday in their preseason opener at the Chicago Bears and the team has a lot of work to do ahead of next week’s battle with the Buffalo Bills. There were a few intriguing takeaways from the game, but ultimately, the Browns left a lot to be desired on both sides of the ball.

Starting quarterback Deshaun Watson took the field for the first time in nearly two years and completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards and ran the ball three times for four yards. He also led the team’s only touchdown drive and didn’t throw any picks, which has been a major issue in camp, though he did get stripped and lose a fumble.

After the game, Watson assessed his performance and sounded like he was simply happy to be back out there and felt good about some of the developments that took place within the flow of the game.

“It felt good…I had fun with the guys, enjoying myself, smiling, getting hit a little bit, going through certain situations, talking with coach on the headset. Everything was good to be back out there,” said Watson.

#Browns QB Deshaun Watson on his first game action in nearly two years:

"It felt good…I had fun with the guys, enjoying myself, smiling, getting hit a little bit, going through certain situations, talking with coach on the headset. Everything was good to be back out there." pic.twitter.com/KanMtoaTml

— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) August 15, 2026

Watson significantly outperformed Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, who both threw interceptions after coming on in relief. The two of them seemed to be applying some pressure in this QB competition in camp over the past week or so, but Saturday’s performance definitely widened the gap back up.

Sanders will get a chance to tighten the screws against Buffalo, but he now has a major uphill battle to usurp Watson as the starter. It’s not exactly a stunning development, but hopefully Sanders takes his opportunities in stride and continues to improve.

Watson will always have his doubters and fans who will never support him for understandable reasons, but it is becoming clear he is the best option at quarterback right now. Sanders and Gabriel may never turn into what this team needs, so if Watson can get even close to producing like the guy he used to be, this job will be his.