The Browns’ quarterback competition took another sharp turn Saturday, and Deshaun Watson felt the heat from the stands every step of the way.
First-year head coach Todd Monken had Watson start Cleveland’s first preseason game, then turned to second-year talent Shedeur Sanders for the second one as the two continue battling for the job. Monken said the evaluation is still ongoing and that each week will give the Browns another look at both quarterbacks.
“I have my reasons for how it’s going to go, and it’s still a competition,” Monken said of his process. “We’re excited to watch guys practice today, let alone on Saturday, and then next week against Buffalo, and we’ll get a chance to see them both.
“Every week we’ll assess it. It’ll be a little bit more difficult with the player that doesn’t play as much this week or the other quarterbacks, right? We’ll be able to assess the quarterback that started and how he played and when the other quarterbacks came in and then the opposite will be next week against Buffalo.”
Watson’s start against the Chicago Bears didn’t help his case. He opened with a steady veteran presence, but the performance unraveled by the end of the night. He finished 5-for-12 passing for 35 yards and an interception.
The reaction from Browns fans was brutal. After sitting through a thunderstorm delay, they still had plenty of energy left to boo Watson almost every chance they got. Front Office Sports’ Ben Axelrod pointed to the disconnect between Watson and the fan base in a post on X.
“Deshaun Watson is getting booed after nearly every play in Cleveland. He’s probably going to be named the starter in a few days.
Other than the Luka trade, I’ve never seen a franchise actively rebel against its own fanbase like this. Why isn’t this a bigger story?”
Axelrod posted on X.
Sanders, meanwhile, took a different approach. Instead of leaning into the moment, he pushed back on the crowd’s treatment of Watson.
“Shedeur Sanders says he doesn’t ‘like or respect’ the booing from fans for Deshaun Watson on the game broadcast,” reported Cleveland. com’s Ashley Bastock after the game.
Shedeur Sanders says he doesn’t “like or respect” the booing from fans for Deshaun Watson on the game broadcast. #Browns
- Ashley Bastock (@AshleyBastock42) August 22, 2026
Even with Sanders taking the high road, the optics around Watson are getting worse by the week. Between the crowd’s open hostility and his rough showing Saturday, the path to Sanders taking the job is starting to look a lot clearer.
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