In an ideal world, when an NFL team names its starting quarterback after a long competition, it is greeted with a good dose of optimism and the confidence that the proper decision was made. Unfortunately, nothing about the Cleveland Browns and their recent quarterbacks has ever been ideal.
On Monday, head coach Todd Monken told the world that Deshaun Watson would be their starter, leaving Shedeur Sanders as the backup. Coming on the heels of a horrible preseason performance, a booing home crowd, and some churlish comments by Watson, if it wasn’t the wrong decision, the timing of the announcement left a lot to be desired.
The backlash from the fans and many analysts was quick and fierce, getting the Watson and Monken era off to a dubious start. Now, not only does the offense have a lot to overcome on the field, it has a brand new set of issues to deal with off the field.
Insider Jason Lloyd said the Browns are already paying the price for this QB decision, and it won’t go away unless Watson has some unexpected success.
“I absolutely think they underestimated what the pushback would be. I think that they felt like, ‘All we have to do is put a good quarterback out there. If we win, all this goes away.’ They’re right. You gotta get from these few weeks from now until then where people are just gonna let it all out. Ultimately, they’re right. If you win, it goes away. The odds of that are just so narrow. This idea that he can resurrect this, I think, is insane. It’s gonna be a month of pain. I was telling you guys last year, if they put him back out there, they deserve everything they’re gonna get. Guess what? Here it is. The bill’s coming due. They’re putting him back out there, and they deserve everything they’re gonna get,” Lloyd said.
"I absolutely think they underestimated what the pushback would be. I think that they felt like 'all we have to do is put a good QB out there, if we win this will all go away.' You gotta get from these few weeks from not until then. This idea that he can resurrect this, I think… https://t.co/Rz4fkVjBOr pic.twitter.com/9akTrPrDRL
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 25, 2026
The downside becomes even more stark when you consider the reaction that the opposite would have generated. If Sanders were named the starter instead, Browns fans would be ecstatic and bursting with anticipation for the start of the season.
Monken cited the fact that Cleveland is playing its first two games on the road as a factor in choosing Watson. If the Browns happen to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars or Tampa Bay Buccaneers in those games, they are expecting a much better reaction from the crowd in the home opener against the Carolina Panthers than the boos Watson received facing the Buffalo Bills this past Saturday, but that is far from a guarantee.
It should be noted that Cleveland has never been 2-0 since being reinstated into the NFL in 1999. Also, the Browns became a bigger betting underdog against the Jaguars in Week 1 when Watson was named the starter. Then, in Week 2, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield will have a great deal of revenge on his mind.
If the Browns lose both games, as expected, it seems almost certain that Sanders will be taking over in Week 3.
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