ESPN: Browns Not Expected to Bench Deshaun Watson Unless 1 of 3 Things Happen

According to ESPN, the Cleveland Browns are not expected to bench quarterback Deshaun Watson unless he gets hurt, starts to play poorly or Cleveland tumbles out of contention.

The Browns are 3-2. They lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1, beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, the Carolina Panthers in Week 3 and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4 and lost to the New York Jets in Week 5. 

Watson has 1,010 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns this season. He's thrown only two interceptions. The former Houston Texans star is completing 64.2% of his passes. 

For as maligned as Watson's tenure with Cleveland has been, some NFL teams believe it's bad business to pay a player $46 million not to play.

It would be stunning if the Browns' 2027 starter is someone on the current roster, but you can't always forecast what this franchise is going to do.

Shedeur Sanders finished his rookie season with 1,400 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 169 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He went 3-4 as a starter.

The Browns like how much Sanders has developed under Todd Monken, and with no definitive long-term answer at QB, they are not motivated to move him or anyone else in the room right now.

The Minnesota Vikings traded J.J. McCarthy to the New York Giants, who lost starter Jaxson Dart for the season. If another team loses a starting QB, it will be intriguing to see if the Browns get trade calls on Sanders. 

Watson has not been booed at home yet. Cleveland hosts the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6 at home. The Browns are 2-0 at Huntington Bank Field this season. That's why Watson hasn't been booed yet. 

If Watson struggles against the Ravens and the Browns lose, there's a strong chance Cleveland fans will boo Watson. After all, it's hard to ignore Watson's past, as more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions.

Watson enters Week 6 with 18,914 passing yards and 130 passing touchdowns with the Texans and Browns. In 24 games with Cleveland, Watson has 4,375 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns and 14 interceptions. 

The Browns are 12-12 when Watson starts. It will be fascinating to see if they can upset the Ravens, who will likely get superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson back in the lineup after the MVP missed Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons because of an ankle injury.