Former Los Angeles Chargers nose tackle Breiden Fehoko has apparently seen enough from Deshaun Watson on the football field. His endorsement of the Cleveland Browns quarterback comes with a rather unusual moral disclaimer.
Breiden Fehoko Gives Verdict on Deshaun Watson vs. Shedeur Sanders QB Battle
Fehoko compared the idea of starting Watson over Shedeur Sanders to listening to R. Kelly, making clear that his football preference and his feelings about Watson’s past are two very different things.
“Starting Deshaun Watson is like listening to R Kelly,” Fehoko wrote on X. “Morally it don’t feel right, but you gonna play it anyway.”
The tweet from Fehoko came days after he took a much more straightforward position following the Browns’ preseason opener against the Chicago Bears. After Watson’s first game in action since 2024, Fehoko called Watson the Browns’ starter and said he had “seen enough.”
Watson gave that argument some football ammunition. He completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards in Saturday’s 34-10 loss, although he also lost a fumble. Sanders followed by completing six of 11 passes for 79 yards with an interception.
Meanwhile, head coach Todd Monken is not ready to make the same call. He updated that both Sanders and Watson will continue to rotate with the first team.
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The sophomore QB will start Saturday’s second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills after Watson started the opener. Monken said the competition remained “relatively close” entering the Chicago game and that Sanders deserved the same opportunity.
Browns QB Battle Carries Complicated Deshaun Watson Backdrop
Fehoko’s comparison to R. Kelly lands against the off-field history that has followed Watson since before Cleveland acquired him.
The NFL suspended Watson for 11 games and fined him $5 million in 2022 after a settlement between the league and the NFL Players Association over violations of the conduct policy.
More than two dozen women had accused Watson of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. Watson has repeatedly denied assaulting anyone. Cleveland nevertheless acquired Watson from the Houston Texans and signed him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract.
His Browns tenure has since included just 19 games, while two surgeries on his right Achilles caused him to miss the entire 2025 season.
Sanders offers the long-term alternative. However, his rookie numbers did not settle the debate either. He threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions across eight appearances last season.
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PFN’s QB Impact metric gave Sanders a 63.0 score, ranking No. 37 and second worst among qualifying quarterbacks. That leaves the Browns choosing between two passers with plenty to prove for very different reasons.
Fehoko’s latest post does not back away from his football opinion. If anything, it makes it stranger. He still appears to believe Watson should start, even while admitting that endorsing the decision does not sit comfortably with him.
