Deshaun Watson had plenty going for him as he returned to the field as the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback after almost two years on the sidelines. Heading into the 2026 season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had a head coach who is devoted to him, he had teammates who reportedly love him, and he had a talented group of skill-position players surrounding him.
Yes, the task was difficult, as the Browns were opening on the road against a playoff team. But Monken’s unbridled optimism convinced even some of the harshest skeptics to predict that Cleveland was going to pull off a surprising upset.
Well, that lasted all of about three minutes and five plays. On the first drive of the game, Watson threw an interception, much like the ones he struggled with in training camp, and the Jaguars would go on to turn that turnover into a touchdown. With the Browns managing just 100 passing yards over the first three quarters, the Jaguars took a huge lead on their way to a non-competitive 34-10 victory that could have been even more lopsided.
As one might expect, Watson was given a harsh grade after his woeful Week 1 performance, with Bleacher Report handing him an F.
“Deshaun Watson shouldn’t be the franchise’s starting quarterback. His performance Sunday showed exactly why. Watson looked uncomfortable in the team’s offense. He had no feel for the pocket, which made life so much harder on a brand new offensive line. The Browns simply need to get past the previous trade and terrible contract extension. They’re sunk cost. The organization must move forward with someone else behind center,” Brent Sobleski wrote.
There are many theories about why Watson is even starting in the first place, and one Cleveland radio host has even accused head coach Todd Monken of gaslighting fans. One line of thinking says that the organization, led by owner Jimmy Haslam, wants Watson to play to try to get something out of the massive investment it’s made in him, including a fully guaranteed $230 million contract that expires this season.
Monken continues to maintain that the decision is based on the fact that Watson gives the Browns the best chance to win, and the coach would never do anything contrary to that mission. Whether that is just a new employee holding tight to the company line to get another chance next year is a fair question to ask.
So, even after this horrid performance that everyone witnessed, Watson is in line to start again in Week 2, facing off against Baker Mayfield at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals What Browns Must Focus On To Start Winning
