The Cleveland Browns were universally criticized on Monday following the decision to name Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback. Amid the backlash, including calls to boycott the team, there is one prevailing theory that this could be a very short-term move.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote on Monday that the Browns could pull the plug on Watson as their starting quarterback after the first two games of the season. It would essentially be a two-game trial period, tasking the veteran with seeing if he can pull off an upset and deliver a win to rally the fan base.
The timing could certainly work out, allowing the Browns’ organization to appease its fanbase without receiving too big of a long-term backlash. Cleveland is on the road for the first two weeks of the 2026 NFL season, first facing the Jacksonville Jaguars and then taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Facing two playoff-caliber teams in hostile environments, it would be a tall order for Watson to pull out a single win. It’s made even more difficult because of the new-look Browns offense, featuring two rookies starting at wide receiver (KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston) with an offensive line that has been almost entirely overhauled with four new starters (Spencer Fano, Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins and Tytus Howard).
Browns head coach Todd Monken could effectively use the team’s first two regular-season games for the offensive line to develop some early rapport and his young wide receivers to gain some experience. One common nugget of information from Browns training camp was that Watson had a slight edge because he had a better feel for the offense, could make adjustments pre-snap and help get his teammates lined up where they needed to be and fulfilling their roles in the scheme.
Assuming he struggles and the team loses the first two games, Monken could announce on Monday, Sept. 21, that Shedeur Sanders will be the Browns’ starting quarterback for the Week 3 home opener versus the Carolina Panthers.
Theoretically, it could help the franchise avoid a potential fan boycott at home with fans of Sanders and those wanting to see the team with a different quarterback in attendance to celebrate the change. Even if Watson isn’t benched after Week 2, his history of performances during his Cleveland tenure suggests the fans will have plenty of chances to see Sanders play this fall.