Deshaun Watson’s grip on the Browns’ QB1 job already looks shaky after one rough Sunday.
Following Cleveland’s 34-10 season-opening loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday that the Browns may not be ready to simply ride with Watson into Week 2. Cleveland, Schefter explained, had planned to start Watson through its first two road games in Jacksonville and Tampa Bay so the 31-year-old could work his way back after missing more than one full season of action. But the opener may have changed the calculation fast.
Watson finished the game with 205 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception and five sacks, and Schefter said that kind of outing puts everything under a microscope.
"I don't know if they'll stick with him this week," Schefter said on the Pat McAfee show on Monday.
He added that head coach Todd Monken and the Browns’ management were going through the film to determine whether an immediate switch to Shedeur Sanders should be on the table. Schefter stopped short of ruling Watson out for the trip to Tampa, but he made clear the pressure is building in a hurry.
"I think it's fair to say the clock is running right now," he emphasized.
Schefter also said that if Cleveland drops to 0-2, it would be almost unthinkable to send Watson out again for the Week 3 home opener against the Carolina Panthers.
Monken later gave Watson some support, telling a reporter on Monday that he expects Watson to start in Week 2. He also said that "there were some really good things on film."
Even with that backing, Watson’s leash sounds short. If he comes out flat again against the Buccaneers, the Browns would appear to have a real opening to turn to Sanders.
That quarterback battle has been one of the defining storylines around Cleveland all offseason and through training camp. Watson won the job for the opener, but Sanders is still waiting for his chance to climb the depth chart. A similar fight took center stage in the Browns’ quarterback room last season, with Sanders ultimately taking the reins.
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