Decision time is coming for the Cleveland Browns and their quarterback situation.
Deshaun Watson will make his second straight start on the road to open the season for the Browns — and after that, Cleveland will make its evaluation.
While no firm decision has been made for Week 3, the belief is that the first two games would serve as a natural evaluation point. In other words, the Browns could use the return to Cleveland for their Week 3 home opener and a two-game sample size as the impetus for a quarterback change.
Shedeur Sanders would be the next man up.
Watson earned the right to start the first two weeks with his play in camp and his experience. But Cleveland’s offensive game operation in Week 1 left those in the building frustrated. The performance all around — not just from Watson — wasn’t great in the 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The reality is that Watson will help inform the decision moving forward with his play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Watson plays well and leads Cleveland to a victory, the Browns have an easy decision. If it does not go well for Watson in a loss, a change could be coming.
The middle ground is the area where it’s less clear.
The Browns need to come out of this season knowing whether they have a franchise quarterback on their roster. With multiple first-round picks in the 2027 draft, Cleveland is among the teams in the mix for one of the top college quarterbacks.
If it doesn’t look like Watson is a major part of their future moving forward, the Browns need to see whether Sanders is. The fuller the look, the better.
After last week, when Watson went 16-of-22 for 205 yards with a touchdown and an interception, Browns coach Todd Monken told reporters he anticipated sticking with Watson. Monken later said the game tape confirmed his decision.
Watson did play better in the second half against Jacksonville, and perhaps getting his feet wet after not playing in the regular season since 2024 will lead to a more consistent performance Sunday.
“We got to play better around him,” Monken said. “We got to call it better, and he’s got to play better.”
