Deshaun Watson is finally back on the football field, and the veteran quarterback wasted little time making his presence felt in the Cleveland Browns’ preseason opener against the Chicago Bears.
Deshaun Watson Shines vs. Bears
Watson started the game on August 15, and it was his first game appearance for the Browns since tearing his Achilles against the Cincinnati Bengals on October 20, 2024. He looked sharp early in the game and went 8-of-9 for 102 yards and a 113.9 passer rating in the first quarter.
The veteran QB eventually finished with 126 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He also rushed three times for four yards and was also strip-sacked. The NFL world quickly made its feelings known about Watson’s performance.
Former NFL defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko was impressed with what he saw. He said, “I’ve seen enough. Deshaun Watson is your starter in Cleveland. No more theatrics. The guy found his confidence.”
I’ve seen enough. Deshaun Watson is your starter in Cleveland. No more theatrics. The guy found his confidence.
— Breiden Fehoko (@BreidenFehoko) August 15, 2026
Former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel also reacted to Watson’s outing and wrote, “Pretty cool drive for Deshaun Watson.”
Chef Zae pointed out the significance of Watson throwing for more than 100 yards in the first quarter. He said, “Deshaun Watson has never thrown for 100 yards in a quarter in his entire tenure as a Cleveland brown. His first action with Monken, he has already done it 😳.”
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PFN draft analyst Jacob Infante also admitted that Watson looked sharp. He said, “Pretty quiet first quarter, especially with the #Bears offense unable to get anything going. Defense has been up and down but ultimately not bad IMO. Deshaun Watson looks sharp today, as much as I hate to admit it.”
Pretty quiet first quarter, especially with the #Bears offense unable to get anything going
Defense has been up and down but ultimately not bad IMO. Deshaun Watson looks sharp today, as much as I hate to admit it
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) August 15, 2026
Analyst Brandon Little had a more mixed assessment of Watson. He wrote, “Up and down day for Deshaun Watson. I thought it was good up until the fumble where Austin Barber got beat, things were mostly down from there.”
Another analyst praised Todd Monken’s play-calling while noting that Watson still showed some rust. “It’s only preseason… but my 1st half thoughts for the Browns: KC Concepcion is him. Run game looks rough. Offensive line is Sus. Todd Monken play calling is impressive. Deshaun Watson looked solid a few times but is still rust man.”
After Watson exited the game, Fehoko shared another post and wrote, “If you said Deshaun Watson played badly today, you’re legitimately being dense. Even without that screen pass, there were multiple occasions where the Browns running game was nonexistent, and he got them back ahead of the chains with good throws and decisions. His lone turnover was his tackle getting smoked.”
If you said Deshaun Watson played badly today, you’re legitimately being dense. Even without that screen pass, there were multiple occasions where the Browns running game was nonexistent, and he got them back ahead of the chains with good throws and decisions. His lone turnover…
— Breiden Fehoko (@BreidenFehoko) August 15, 2026
Watson is fighting with Shedeur Sanders for the QB1 role, and when two quarterbacks are competing for one job, getting the first opportunity at an important checkpoint can often be viewed as an advantage.
Watson got that opportunity in Chicago, while Sanders is set to start the Browns’ second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. The roles will then reverse, giving both quarterbacks a chance to work with the starters.
Nonetheless, the Browns still face a difficult decision. Neither Watson nor Sanders has completely run away with the competition, and the preseason games could play a major role in determining who gets the Week 1 job.
Watson also entered the game with plenty to prove after missing almost two years of game action. Ahead of the preseason opener, Watson spoke about his health and the quarterback competition during an interview with News 5.
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“I feel good. I think I’m in the right spot where I need to be. I think mentally I’m in a good spot; physically, I’m in a great spot. So really just keep stacking the days, keep adding that up, and just try to get better each and every day,” Watson said.
He also explained how he has handled the changing reps during the competition.
“You just got to take advantage of the opportunity. So whenever you’re in, no matter what group you’re in with, you just got to make sure you try to execute as much as possible.”
Watson admitted that building timing with receivers has been one of the more difficult parts of the process because the quarterbacks have been rotating through different groups.
“I think just the timing of all the receivers. Usually, during this process, it’s my first time going through something like this, so usually you’re with a certain group and you kind of build that time and that rhythm, but now you’re flipping each and every day, so it’s hard to kind of gain that trust, especially when you’re installing new plays, new concepts, new routes.”
As things stand, Watson has given the Browns something to think about. The pressure will shift to Sanders when he gets his opportunity.
