Monken defended Watson’s performance following a 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, stating that film review revealed encouraging signs.
The Cleveland Browns are sticking with their veteran signal-caller despite a rough opening-week blowout against the Jaguars (note: sports.yahoo.com describes the upcoming game as the Baker Mayfield Revenge Bowl). Following a 34-10 defeat against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, head coach Todd Monken addressed immediate fan frustration and external questions regarding whether second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders might take over the offense for the upcoming matchup in Tampa.
Todd Monken Defends Watson and Confirms Week 2 Start
During a Monday video conference announced by head coach Todd Monken, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to Watson as the team prepares to face Tampa Bay. Watson finished the season opener completing 16 of 22 pass attempts for 205 yards, recording one touchdown and one interception, while also taking five sacks in the lopsided loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars (note: sports.yahoo.com reports his rating as 97.7).
Despite the offensive struggles that left Cleveland trailing 24-0 at halftime in the decisive first half (where sports.yahoo.com notes Watson went 8 of 13 for 75 yards with no touchdowns and one interception for a 45.4 rating), Monken pushed back against calls for an immediate benching and pointed to positive elements captured on game film during his Monday media session.
Monken added context to the offensive output by noting that Watson has only had two weeks of receiving all the practice repetitions following his recovery timeline (which sports.yahoo.com notes marked Watson’s return to a regular season game for the first time in 22 months, since he first ruptured his Achilles October 20, 2024, against the Bengals). The performance included a 46-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Denzel Boston late in the fourth quarter with 1:52 remaining on the game clock.
Weighing Quarterback Options and the Shadow of Shedeur Sanders
The decision to name Watson the starter continues a high-stakes storyline that dominated the offseason. Shedeur Sanders pushed Watson throughout training camp in a competitive quarterback battle before Monken officially named Watson the starter on August 24, 2026, two days after the Browns’ second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills according to Athlon Sports reporting. Watson is playing under a five-year, $230 million contract that expires after the 2026 season according to Athlon Sports reporting.
While Monken’s public backing secures Watson’s spot for Week 2, analysts close to the franchise report that organizational patience may have limits. Sources around the building have suggested that Sanders could see playing time if offensive execution does not improve as the regular season progresses, with Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports quoted saying, When I talked to my sources around the building, there’s kind of this element of, ‘I would be very surprised if we don’t see Shedeur Sanders start a game this season and a LOT of games this season.
However, reporting from Ian Rapoport indicates that the internal hope within Cleveland is for Watson to perform well enough to quiet the quarterback controversy entirely over the course of the 2026 season, with Rapoport stating on NFL Network: “Maybe he will play well. And that really, inside the Browns organization, is the hope for Deshaun Watson—that all this talk about, ‘Okay, they have a couple of games, and they turn home, and they could turn it over to Shedeur.’ The hope is that his play makes it all moot.”
Addressing Collective Blame and Operational Flaws
Monken declined to place full responsibility for the Week 1 defeat on his quarterback, spreading accountability across the entire coaching staff and roster after reviewing the game tape. He emphasized that operational failures—including getting in and out of the huddle and managing substitutions—hurt the team’s rhythm alongside coaching decisions on the road in Jacksonville.
“It wasn’t all him. It really wasn’t all him. That’s unfair. Certainly could have called it better, certainly could have played better around him.”
The Browns will look to rectify those operational mistakes when they travel to face Tampa Bay, where another difficult outing could amplify pressure from fans wanting a transition to bench Watson.
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