BEREA, Ohio -- Deshaun Watson will open the season as the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback, coach Todd Monken announced Monday.
And in his first news conference as the Browns' starter, Watson apologized for his postgame comments Saturday in which he called fans "disrespectful" for booing him.
Watson, 30, won a competition with second-year player Shedeur Sanders that began in the offseason workout program and stretched into the first two preseason games. Sanders will be Watson's backup.
"Took in the full body of work over the course of offseason to training camp, to the games, the joint practice, and ultimately felt like to start the season on the road, Deshaun gave us the best chance to move the ball and score points," Monken said Monday. "I mean, that's really what it's about. And felt that way going in the last game but wasn't sure. And after we talked as a staff and after we relooked at everything, we're going to go that direction."
Monken said the decision to start Watson will not be a "week-to-week" proposition.
The Browns face the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road in Week 1.
The decision comes despite Watson's struggles in the second preseason game Saturday, during which he completed 5 of 12 passes for 35 yards and one interception over four second-half drives. The seats at Huntington Bank Field were half full, but the boos were pronounced when Watson took the field at the beginning of the second half and as he struggled. Sanders started Saturday's game after Watson started the Browns' preseason opener against the Chicago Bears.
"I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance," Watson said Saturday. "It's a little bit [more] personal than that. So I think it's a disrespectful thing. So yeah, I mean, I'm going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel about that. And yeah, just move on." Monken said Sunday that Watson's comments would not factor into his decision.
On Monday, Watson opened his news conference with a two-minute statement in which he apologized for his postgame comments.
"I thought I was going to get a little different response," Watson said, "but I think my emotions got the best of me. My comments wasn't intending to go at any of the fans around in the city, because there's been a lot of great fans that have been supporting me. And I know the frustration. This organization has put a lot of investment in coming to get me back in '22, and things haven't been going the right direction that we thought it was. A lot of injuries, a lot of time off, and not putting the best football and my foot forward.
"I understand the frustration. I understand everything that kind of goes into that. And moving forward, I just want to focus on football, making sure that I'm putting the best product out there, having the best ability, because I thrive off the energy. I thrive off the energy of the fans. I thrive off the energy of the community. I thrive off all that stuff."
The Browns' first two games of the 2026 season are on the road -- at Jacksonville and then at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- before the team returns home to face the Carolina Panthers in Week 3.
Watson split first-team reps with Sanders, a 2025 fifth-round pick, through offseason workouts and training camp. In his start against the Bears, Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards, and he lost a fumble.
Watson has been a polarizing figure in Cleveland since the Browns traded three first-round picks to the Houston Texans to acquire him in March 2022 and gave him a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions.
Two Texas grand juries declined to pursue criminal charges against Watson a week before his trade to Cleveland, but he served an 11-game suspension to begin his tenure with the Browns. He also paid a $5 million fine and completed a treatment program after the NFL and NFL Players Association reached a settlement in August 2022 on his disciplinary matter.
Since joining the Browns, Watson has failed to recapture the Pro Bowl form he showcased in Houston, posting a 33.1 QBR that would rank last if he had enough starts to qualify.
Watson has a 9-10 record as the Browns' starting quarterback, and his past two seasons as the starter have ended due to injury. In 2023, Watson underwent season-ending surgery following a displaced fracture to the glenoid in his right throwing shoulder. The injury forced Watson to miss the final nine games of that season, including the team's AFC wild-card loss to the Texans. Watson did not play in the 2025 season after undergoing two surgeries to address a torn right Achilles tendon he sustained in October 2024.
"It was a big investment, and we haven't got the product out of that investment just so far," Watson said Monday. "And I have another shot. I have another chance. So I want to make sure I take full responsibility of this opportunity."
The Browns also have second-year quarterback Dillon Gabriel and 2026 sixth-round pick Taylen Green on the roster. Monken will not play starters in Thursday's preseason finale at home against the New England Patriots. Sanders also will not play, so Gabriel and Green will be the quarterbacks for the final preseason game.