Deshaun Watson’s struggles won’t cost him his starting job. Well, at least not yet. Despite a 34-10 blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Cleveland Browns are sticking with their quarterback.
Anyone expecting a quarterback controversy in Cleveland will have to wait. Speaking to reporters Monday morning, head coach Todd Monken stood firmly behind Watson, insisting the film showed plenty of bright spots despite the loss. "Confirmed it when I looked at the tape," Monken said of his decision.
"We got to play better around him. We got to call better and he’s got to play better. It wasn’t just our inability to function consistently as an offense, but it was a byproduct of coaching and playing." After a sluggish start that left the Browns trailing 24-0 at halftime, Watson found more rhythm in the second half.
He finished 16-of-22 for 205 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, though the offense struggled to push the ball downfield for most of the game. Second-round pick Denzel Boston found the end zone late, but fellow rookie KC Concepcion was held under 50 yards while Jerry Jeudy remained ineffective. To make matters worse, second-year tight end Harold Fannin Jr. was also kept in check.
Much of Watson's production came far too late to change the result. Regardless of what Monken saw on tape, the heat on Watson is bound to turn up as the Browns wait for a return on their massive investment. With the Browns heading back on the road to face Tampa Bay, all eyes will be on Watson's performance.
If he continues to struggle, quarterback speculation will inevitably shift toward Shedeur Sanders, the 2025 NFL Draft fifth-round pick who started seven games for Cleveland a year ago.
