Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns
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Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns
Though nothing has actually happened in terms of the makeup of the team, or even the hiring and firing of personnel with the Cleveland Browns, it’s been a pretty well-packed few days for the team. The GM made a strong denial of trade rumors for the best player in the league, the owner revered himself on his admission of a major mistake on the would-be star quarterback and the head coach (along with the aforementioned owner) indicated that the failed star quarterback might well be the favorite to get the job back.
It’s all a symptom of the Browns’ allergy to bringing in a competent and reliable quarterback, an affliction that has held back the franchise for decades now. The last effort was the trade for Deshaun Watson and his subsequent signing to a guaranteed five-year contract at $235 million.
Watson, after two Achilles tendon surgeries that have sidelined him since October 2024, is in play as the starter for 2026, and is reportedly the favorite for the job. But then new head coach Todd Monken said something a bit odd about Watson.
Two Months, No Deshaun Watson Tape
Monken has been on the job for two months now, but according to ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, he has not dug into Watson’s tape, despite weighing Watson as perhaps the leader for the Browns’ QB1 job. Monken first mentioned that on Tuesday, and Oyefusi, to his credit, followed up with Monken on it.
Here’s Monken’s quote:
“I just haven’t drilled down into that. Have I watched a little bit of it? Of course, but there’s also some aspects of it, so I would say this. We have crossover tape. Have I seen Deshaun Watson play before? Of course. I saw him play against us when I was in Baltimore Did we play the Cowboys two years ago after Cleveland opened up the season with Dallas? Yes. Is that great film to watch Deshaun Watson on? Absolutely not. I mean, that was not a fun tape to watch. To try and look at that film and say, ‘That’s Deshaun Watson’ is unfair.
“So I think you want a little bit, because I don’t know the system they changed to when Ken Dorsey came in and what they were running. I don’t know that. I don’t know what they were asking him to do. Or the year before when the Browns came over and beat the Ravens there. I don’t know that. I just know what I’ve seen over the years. I’ve seen a really good football player. And we’re hoping to be able to tap into that. I know he’s excited and we’re excited to work with him. Like we are with Dillon, like we are with Shedeur.”
Deshaun Watson Tape Is Spotty
That’s a lot of words, and there are two ways to look at Monken’s answer if you’re a Browns fan, or even if you’re one of the three quarterbacks (with Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel) on the roster.
The first is to see it from Monken’s perspective. It’s been 17 months since Watson was on the field as an NFL quarterback, and he has had two surgeries on his Achilles tendon in the meantime. He is not going to be the same player he was in 2024, so what’s the point of breaking down tape that is already old and irrelevant?
Monken mentioned “crossover tape,” games he watched as the Ravens offensive coordinator. The included Watson leading a 33-31 win over the Ravens in 2023, and a drubbing Watson and the Browns took from the Cowboys in the 2024 opener–a 33-17 loss in which Watson was 24-for-45 with 169 yards, two touchdowns and six sacks. It’s not fait to judge Watson, good or bad, from those tapes, Monken is saying.
Cleveland Browns
GettyBrowns coach Todd Monken.
Deshaun Watson Has Had Hard Times With the Browns
But still, in two months on the job, Monken did not watch any film on the guy who might be the Browns’ starter again? Watson has started just 19 games in Cleveland, and they’ve not gone particularly well–he is 9-10 with a quarterback rating of 80.7 in his entire Browns career. He was 1-6 in 2024.
It would behoove Monken to at least watch how Watson looked, whether he sees anything that Watson was struggling with in particular, or a mechanical flaw–something, anything.
Instead, Monken refers back to Watson’s status as a “really good football player” he’s seen “over the years.” But no, Watson has not been good as a football player, not unless you go back to to 2020. That’s six years. There’s film of Watson between then and now, and Monken probably should give it a look.