Deshaun Watson won’t simply be battling the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. He’ll be battling the noise surrounding his own job as quarterback. The Cleveland Browns have handed Watson the starting job ahead of Shedeur Sanders, and that decision alone has generated backlash among the fan base.
Deshaun Watson Has To Drown Out the Boos
Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot believes Watson’s biggest early challenge is straightforward.
Cabot said Watson needs to make the most of the Browns’ first two games, against the Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, before the Browns return home to face the Carolina Panthers on September 27.
That makes Week 1 about more than a season opener. It is Watson’s first opportunity to change the conversation with his play. Cabot does not believe new head coach Todd Monken will decide to change quarterbacks even if Watson fails to make an impact.
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“I don’t think Monken has Watson on a short leash at all, but I do think he will be judged on his performance, and he will need to perform well to keep the job,” Cabot said.
“As long as Watson plays well in those first two games and puts some points on the board, I think fans will give him a chance when he comes home. He’ll still get booed, but he’ll have to block it out and make the next play. If he plays well at Huntington Bank Field, he can drown out the boos,” she added.
However, it won’t be easy for Watson, as Cleveland’s offensive situation adds another layer of difficulty. The Browns, who ranked worst on PFN’s Offense Impact Metric last season, are entering 2026 with five new offensive linemen, two rookie receivers, and a completely different offense under a new head coach.
Cabot summed up the uncertainty on the “Orange and Brown Talk” podcast with host Dan Labbe.
“You’ve got five new guys on the offensive line, you’ve got two rookie receivers, you’ve got a tight end coming off of a surgery,” the Browns insider said. “New terminology, new play caller, new everything on offense and a quarterback where we just don’t know how the quarterback is going to function yet.”
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That instability is one reason immediately turning to Sanders could be complicated. Sanders started only seven games last year, and Cabot’s view is that throwing him into an offense still finding its identity could create more problems than it solves.
For Watson, meanwhile, Monken has made his position clear.
“We believe in you. I’ve got you,” Monken said. “That is a verbal contract that I make, and we make to each other as a team. I have you. I have your back.”
But support from the coaching staff will only go so far if the results aren’t there.
That is the test awaiting Watson. Win games, score points, and show enough command of the new offense, and the Browns’ quarterback controversy could quiet down. Struggle, however, and Sanders will remain the obvious shadow over every snap.
