Ignoring preseason struggles and vocal fan backlash, Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken doubles down on Deshaun Watson as his starting QB. But the fans' frustrations aren't going ignored.
Through every step of the Cleveland Browns quarterback competition this offseason, first-year head coach Todd Monken made it clear he'd be using the full body of work from Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders to ultimately choose his starter.
So when it came time to finally make that decision on Monday, he didn't waver in his evaluation. That left him choosing Watson to captain the team's offense under center to open the season, even after the 30-year-old candidly targeted fans for booing when he took the field during a 31-7 preseason loss to Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
Outside the building, controversy swirled as many wondered if Watson's comments were a proverbial nail in the coffin for his time in Cleveland. But inside the building, Monken was unbothered by what he described as the embattled QB "speaking from his heart." As it turned out, his comments had no impact on the final decision.
"Zero. There was, nothing to do with that," Monken said of whether or not the comments even were discussed when making his final decision. "Ultimately, the fans want us to win. Ultimately, to put a good product on the field. That’s really what they want. And that’s our job as coaches, why we’re hired don't — to try to put the best product on the field. And when we don’t, then I understand their frustration. But ultimately, they don’t decide who plays. I mean, who would I be if I let someone outside of the building decide who plays?"
Monken has been unapologetically himself since his arrival to Cleveland back in February. He isn't fazed by much, even the boos that rained down during Watson's time on the field, which resulted in two three-and-outs, an interception and a turnover on downs.
When the team traded a massive package of picks for Watson in 2022, that included the next three years worth of first-rounders, then handed him a first-of-its-kind $230 million fully guaranteed contract, there were certain expectations associated with it. In his first four seasons in Cleveland, Watson simply hasn't lived up to them, appearing in just 19 games, throwing for just 3,365 yards and 19 touchdowns to go along with 12 interceptions.
In a lengthy opening statement to begin his press conference on Monday, Watson at least acknowledged that he hasn't produced the way he was expected to when he arrived in Cleveland.
"I know the frustration, this organization has put a lot of investment into getting me back in ’22, and things haven’t been going the right direction that we thought it would," he said. "A lot of injuries, a lot of time off, and not putting my best football and my best foot forward. So, again, I understand the frustration, I understand everything that goes into that."
While Watson's tenure has been marred by bad quarterback play, a serious of season-ending injuries haven't helped matters. Saturday was his first time playing a game in Huntington Bank Field since he ruptured his Achilles inside that very building in Week 7 of 2024.
After a lengthy recovery process that left him sidelined for the entirety of the 2025 season, Watson says he "thought he was going to get a little different response" from fans. He admitted that he let his emotions get the best of him, but he's ready to put the controversial postgame comments behind him.
”I want to make sure I put the best product out there for the team, for the organization, and for the city, so we can put a lot of wins and celebrate and put Cleveland on the map," said Watson. "That’s why I put the helmet on my head, and I put the uniform on my body as I go out there and make sure I put my best foot forward."
In the results-based business that is the NFL, Monken hasn't run from the fans' frustrations. He's actually validated them. What he also emphasized to Watson, though, is that there's one path to mending his relationship with the fan base.
"The way we make this go away is to play good football," the Browns head man asserted. "We’ve got to own that. If you think – I asked him, ‘do you feel like you got that off your chest?’ Because you’ve got to feel like you got that off your chest, right? And now what do we do? Let’s move forward and work our rear ends off playing winning football."
That'll be put to the test early on in the season. The Browns open the season with back-to-back road games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, before returning to Cleveland for the home opener in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers.
If Monken and Watson have the Browns off to a 2-0 start when they run out of the tunnel at Huntington Bank Field that week, perhaps the reception will be different. If not, well, then Watson may be in for a long season in Cleveland.
