The Cleveland Browns have a big decision to make before Week 1. Cleveland has not named a starting quarterback, and new head coach Todd Monken has to decide between veteran Deshaun Watson and second-year signal callers Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
Which player emerges as the Week 1 starter remains to be seen. However, some may give the edge to Watson. The embattled quarterback has not played a down of competitive football since 2024, having battled numerous injury issues. But his experience could give him the edge over the other two options.
Watson’s return to the field will be a divisive one, to say the least. Many fans are already looking toward the future. Two analysts have even warned the veteran quarterback about the sort of reception he has to look forward to during Saturday’s preseason game.
NFL Analysts Warn Browns’ Deshaun Watson About Potential Hostile Reaction
“92.3 The Fan” radio hosts Ken Carman and Anthony Lima hosted their show on Thursday morning when Watson was brought up.
The two responded to a clip of the Browns quarterback saying he doesn’t care about whatever reaction he may receive from fans. Carman and Lima used the opportunity to warn him about how fans will feel about him taking the field.
“He spent most of his offseason here in Cleveland for the first time, finally,” Lima said. “When he’s around town, going to restaurants, he’s not being booed. He’s getting taken care of. He’s not experiencing the Cleveland that he’s going to be experiencing when he goes out there.”
“He’s about to get a taste of real Cleveland coming up here on Saturday,” Carman added.
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Watson was traded to the Browns in 2022 after falling out with the Houston Texans. Since his arrival, he has struggled to stay on the field due to injuries as well as off-the-field legal issues.
Lima further expanded his point and added, “I’m sure in his life, he’s not experiencing the same Cleveland that he will be coming up on Saturday. Honestly, it might be like culture shock to him.”
“I think it could be jarring to him,” Lima continued. “Like, he’s not getting booed every day in his world. It’s going to be different when he takes the field, and these people are going to be like, ‘You’ve ruined our franchise for four years,’ and the move to bring you in has ruined the franchise.”
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In 2024, he played just seven games. He had the worst QB impact score in the NFL that year, according to PFN’s QB Impact Metric. Additionally, he was the only qualified quarterback with an impact score less than 60.0.
“I don’t believe him. Yes, you do.”
“He’s not experiencing the Cleveland that he’s gonna be experiencing when he goes out there…”
“He’s about to get a taste of real Cleveland coming up here on Saturday.”
🚨 @KenCarman and @SportsBoyTony react to Deshaun Watson’s comments… https://t.co/dbqi0u8Ma1 pic.twitter.com/9U578DQpOa
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 20, 2026
Watson missed all of 2025 with an injury, as previously mentioned. This led Cleveland to select two quarterbacks, Gabriel and Sanders, in the 2025 NFL Draft. Both played in 2025, finishing in the bottom three in QB impact rankings last year.
The Browns hope for better fortunes ahead. That being said, this is a bit of a messy QB situation. It will certainly be interesting to see how Monken approaches this battle ahead of Week 1.
