Watson was named the Browns starter to open Week 1 following the team's second preseason game. He should only be drafted in Superflex and two-QB leagues. If Watson could somehow regain his rushing form after tearing his Achilles tendon twice, he could enter the discussion in one-QB leagues as well. Watson finished as a top-seven quarterback per game in all four of his seasons in Houston, but has been one of the worst QBs in the NFL in three seasons with the Browns. He has played 19 games since the start of the 2022 season and has a lot to prove. With Watson's strong history as a rusher and Cleveland's improved receiving corps, not all hope is lost. But Fantasy managers need to see some positive results before believing in Watson.
Fantasy Stats
passing
rushing
fantasy
Year
yds
Passing Yards
td
Touchdown Passes
int
Interceptions Thrown
yds
Rushing Yards
td
Rushing Touchdowns
fpts
Fantasy Points
fpts/g
Fantasy Points per Game
2026
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
2025
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
2024
1148
5
3
148
1
81
11.6
3y Avg.
754
4
2
97
1
54
13.5
Fantasy News
Browns' Deshaun Watson: Named Cleveland's starting quarterback
Rotowire
The Browns named Watson their starting quarterback Monday, multiple sources tell NFL reporter Jordan Schultz.
Watson won out in a job battle with Shedeur Sanders, after the quarterbacks alternated starts in the Browns' first two preseason contests. After an efficient showing in the preseason opener against the Bears (11-for-15 for 126 yards), Watson was unproductive over his four second-half drives in Saturday's 31-7 exhibition loss to the Bills, completing just five of 12 throws for 36 yards and an interception. The Browns were apparently encouraged enough from what they've seen from Watson over the course of training camp and the first two preseason tilts to move forward with him as their starter heading into the regular season, but he'll most likely be on a short leash. Since joining the Browns in 2022, Watson has posted a lowly 33.1 QBR while being limited to 19 total games due to injuries, including a torn right Achilles tendon and a subsequent re-rupture that kept him out for the entire 2025 season.
Watson will learn Monday if he or Shedeur Sanders will be named the starting quarterback for the Browns, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
The two quarterbacks have gone back and forth on reps during the preseason. Watson started the first half of Cleveland's preseason opener, but then he didn't play until after halftime when Sanders started in Saturday's 31-7 preseason loss to Buffalo. The 30-year-old has completed 16 of 27 passes for 162 yards and zero touchdowns to one interception through two exhibition game appearances. With neither quarterback obviously pulling away in the competition this preseason, it's possible that whoever is named the Week 1 starter could be on a short leash. Cleveland will open its 2026 campaign versus the Jaguars on Sunday, Sept. 13.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Poor second half Saturday
Rotowire
Watson completed five of 12 passes for 36 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in Saturday's 31-7 preseason loss to the Bills. He also rushed twice for 13 yards.
After starting the preseason opener, Watson didn't enter Saturday's second preseason game until after halftime. Shedeur Sanders started and threw for 74 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Watson played all but one possession in the second half but failed to get anything going. Head coach Todd Monken said after the game that he will wait until Sunday to name a starter for Thursday's preseason finale against the Patriots, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. There doesn't appear to be much daylight between Watson and Sanders in the competition for the starting QB role in Cleveland.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Looks sharp in preseason opener
Rotowire
Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards in Saturday's 34-10 preseason loss to the Bears. He added four rushing yards on three carries and lost a fumble.
The veteran QB may have gotten a leg up on Shedeur Sanders in the battle for the Browns' starting job. Watson played the entire first half and led his team on its only two scoring drives of the day, including one capped by a 14-yard TD run by rookie wideout KC Concepcion early in the second quarter. Watson did cost Cleveland a potential third score, however, coughing up the ball on a sack in Chicago territory. Sanders and Watson will continue their competition in next week preseason's contest against the Bills, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports, with Sanders starting and Watson playing the second half this time around. Another solid effort from Watson could be enough for coach Todd Monken to name him the Week 1 starter.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Starting preseason opener
Rotowire
Watson will start Saturday's preseason game at Chicago, Kelsey Russo of the Browns' official site reports.
Coach Todd Monken relayed Wednesday that whoever starts Cleveland's preseason opener between Watson and Shedeur Sanders will play the first half, with the other entering the contest afterward. Then, the order will switch for the team's second exhibition Saturday, Aug. 22, against the Bills. Watson and Sanders have been alternating days working with the first-team offense in most practices during training camp, but Watson will get the first chance in a game to stake a claim to the No. 1 gig.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Listed as co-starter on depth chart
Rotowire
When the Brown' unofficial depth chart is posted later Tuesday, the top QB slot will show 'Watson or Shedeur Sanders,' Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Meanwhile, Jackson notes that coach Todd Monken doesn't plan to reveal his QB plans for Saturday's preseason opener against the Bears just yet, but it's expected that whichever of the two starts that contest will give way the other in the Browns' second exhibition tilt. The two signal-callers continue to share first-team practice reps, with Monken having yet to outline a timeline for his decision on when a Week 1 starter will be named.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Saturday starter TBD
Rotowire
Coach Todd Monken noted Monday that he hasn't decided whether Watson or Shedeur Sanders will start Saturday's preseason opener against the Bears, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Whichever of the duo doesn't start Saturday's preseason opener is expected to get the starting nod in the Browns' second preseason game, meaning this battle under center is far from settled. "As long as we're still sharing reps, it's a competition," Monken said. Throughout the summer, it has sounded like neither quarterback has been particularly sharp. After Watson handled most of the first-team reps in practice Saturday, Sanders is working with the ones Monday.
Watson took every starting rep in team drills during Saturday's practice, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Shedeur Sanders was scheduled to work with the first-team offense Saturday, but he ended up splitting second-team reps with Dillon Gabriel while Watson ran with the starters. Watson made the most of the opportunity with a productive practice, when he made nice connections with Isaiah Bond and Denzel Boston during team drills. Head coach Todd Monken will use Sunday's scheduled off day to deliberate whether Watson or Sanders will start in Saturday's preseason opener against the Bears.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Continues to alternate QB reps
Rotowire
Coach Todd Monken noted Wednesday that Watson and Shedeur Sanders will continue to alternate first-team QB reps every practice until he names a starter, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
While Sanders reportedly looked sharp during Tuesday's session, per Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, Petrak indicates that Watson had his best day of camp thus far Wednesday, notably in terms of his accuracy and decision-making. With regard to a timetable for his decision on naming the Browns' Week 1 starter, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal relays that Monken has neither solidified the order in which starts will be assigned during the preseason nor when a top option will emerge. The team's exhibition opener is Aug. 15 against the Bears.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Rotation continues as pads come on
Rotowire
Watson will continue to rotate first-team reps with Shedeur Sanders as the Browns begin practicing in pads, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Watson is getting the first-team reps Friday, which lines Sanders up to work with the starters Monday in what Oyefusi reports will be Cleveland's first practice in pads. Cleveland's quarterback competition is unlikely to be decided until much closer to the regular season.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Will continue to split reps
Rotowire
Coach Todd Monken confirmed Wednesday that Watson and Shedeur Sanders will continue to share first-team reps at the start of training camp, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Meanwhile, Monken noted that at this stage he doesn't have a definite timeline for a decision on the team's starting QB for Week 1, while adding that the team plans to play its starters in the preseason. In any case, this is a job competition to monitor in the coming days and weeks, with added context on how the reps are divided between Watson and Sanders -- likely in some form of a rotation -- set to arrive once the Browns take the practice field again.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Starting QB decision not imminent
Rotowire
Coach Todd Monken acknowledged Tuesday that he's unlikely to name either Watson or Shedeur Sanders as his starting quarterback by the conclusion of minicamp, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Monken had hoped to have a better idea of the pecking order by then, but it looks like the competition will carry over into training camp. With that in mind, the new head coach said that Watson and Sanders have "both played well enough to earn out the right to compete to start." While Sanders took all the Browns' first-team QB reps during Tuesday's practice, Watson will take them Wednesday, and on Thursday the two will split those reps.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: First QB through drills
Rotowire
Watson was the first QB through the rotation at Wednesday's practice, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Watson took the first snap in individual drills and 7-on-7s, but Shedeur Sanders then went first in 11-on-11s, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. The two split first-team snaps for the rest of the session, with Watson then taking over at the end for a hurry-up simulation. For individual drills, Sanders was second through the rotation, with Dillon Gabriel going third and Taylen Green predictably last. It's more or less what was expected, given that Watson has 72 NFL starts to his name and is competing with a trio of mid-round picks from the past two drafts. What's less clear is if the initial position means anything beyond deference to age/experience. Browns head coach Todd Monken seems to take Sanders seriously as a candidate for the starting job, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Gabriel (or even Green) take some first-team reps as well.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: May have inside track for QB1
Rotowire
Watson reportedly emerged from last week's voluntary minicamp with an edge over Shedeur Sanders in the Browns' quarterback competition, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The report notes that coach Todd Monken hopes to identify the team's starter by the end of Browns minicamp June 9-11, with Watson and Sanders viewed as the top two contenders for the role, while Dillon Gabriel and 2026 sixth-rounder Taylen Green are also in the mix to a lesser degree. Per Cabot, at this stage Watson --- who didn't see game action in 2025 due to an Achilles' injury -- appears to have the inside track to the assignment, but Sanders still has time to close the gap before Monken makes the call. In any case, the signal caller that ultimately gets the nod will be in line to helm a Cleveland passing offense that returns WRs Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman, as well as TE Harold Fannin, and is also set to welcome a pair of talented rookie wideouts in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Freeing up cap space
Rotowire
Watson (Achilles) agreed to terms Friday on a restructured contract with the Browns that converts a portion of his $80.71 million cap hit for the 2026 season into bonuses, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Watson's restructure provides Cleveland with increased flexibility ahead of the start of the legal tampering period March 9. The 30-year-old quarterback is heading into the final year of the fully guaranteed five-year contract he inked with the Browns back in 2022, and Cabot reports that Watson is now back to full health after having undergone two surgeries to repair the right Achilles tendon he re-ruptured after the 2024 season. Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry recently named both Watson and Shedeur Sanders as candidates to compete for the team's starting quarterback job in 2026, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Not being activated this season
Rotowire
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Tuesday that the Browns will not activate Watson (Achilles) from the reserve/PUP list this season, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Watson tore his right Achilles tendon in October of last season, then subsequently re-ruptured the tendon and required another surgery Jan. 9. The veteran quarterback had made enough progress in his recovery for the Browns to clear him to practice Dec. 3, but Watson was always viewed as a longshot to be activated at any point in 2025. With his 21-day evaluation window officially coming to a close Tuesday, Watson wasn't reinstated and won't be eligible to practice with the team over the final two weeks of the season. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Cleveland is expected to keep Watson on the roster in 2026, the final year of his five-year, $230 million deal. Watson hasn't played in a game since Week 10 of the 2024 campaign, and it's unclear if the Browns will seriously consider him for a starting role if he's indeed on the team next season.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Roster decision coming next week
Rotowire
Watson (Achilles) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bills, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Per Oyefusi, coach Kevin Stefanski said the Browns will make a decision on whether to add Watson back to the active roster prior to the team's Week 17 game against Pittsburgh. An official transaction activating Watson from the reserve/PUP list will have to be made by next Tuesday, or Watson will be ineligible to play this season. Shedeur Sanders will start Sunday against the Bills.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Out for Week 14
Rotowire
Watson (Achilles) has been ruled out for Sunday's contest against the Titans, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
The Browns opened Watson's 21-day practice window Wednesday to return from the PUP list, which is where he's resided since the start of training camp after undergoing a second surgery in early January to address a re-rupture of his right Achilles. He strung together limited showings in practice this week, but even if he gets medical clearance to play, he might not surpass rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel on the depth chart.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Joins team for road trip
Rotowire
Watson (Achilles) accompanied the Browns to Las Vegas for Sunday's game against the Raiders, marking the first time he's joined the team on the road this season, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Watson will be on the sideline to serve as a resource to rookie Shedeur Sanders, who will be making his first NFL start Sunday. The 30-year-old's presence in Las Vegas is also a sign that he's making progress in his recovery from the right Achilles tendon he re-ruptured back in January, requiring a second surgery in less than three months. The Browns haven't offered up any specifics regarding where Watson stands in his rehab program, but he's posted multiple videos on social media in recent weeks that appear to show him dropping back on snaps and throwing without being compromised by the Achilles injury. Cleveland could open Watson's 21-day practice window at any time, though the organization may prefer to wait until OTAs in the spring to clear the veteran signal-caller for on-field work. Watson will be entering the final season of a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract in 2026.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Progressing, but not practicing
Rotowire
The Browns plan on waiting until at least Week 12 to potentially open the 21-day practice window for Watson (Achilles), Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
On Monday, head coach Kevin Stefanski noted that Watson was progressing well in his recovery from Jan. 20 surgery and didn't dismiss the possibility of the quarterback could practice this week, but a return to the field will instead be delayed by at least one more week. Given that he hasn't practiced in more than a year, he'll likely need close to the full 21-day window to fully ramp up before the Browns would consider activating him from the PUP list. Despite having been out all season, Watson has attended all meetings and has filled a mentorship role for Cleveland's two rookie quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and backup Shedeur Sanders. The 30-year-old remains under contract with the Browns through next season after inking a five-year, $230 million extension with Cleveland shortly after he was acquired from the Texans in March 2022.
