Monken makes Watson the Browns' season-opening starter

The job will not be reviewed week to week.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Aug 241 min read

Todd Monken announces Deshaun Watson is the starter and this is not a week to week decision for #Browns https://t.co/A8m Via @RuiterWrongFAN on X

What happened: Todd Monken said Deshaun Watson's full body of work won him the job. The decision ends Cleveland's offseason quarterback competition.

Why it matters: Cleveland enters the regular season with a fixed quarterback hierarchy instead of a weekly audition. Watson carries a $40.9 million cap hit this season.

By the numbers: Watson completed 5 of 12 passes for 36 yards with one interception in Cleveland's 31-7 preseason loss Saturday.

What to watch: Cleveland's remaining preseason work will center on preparing Watson and the offense for the Sept. 13 opener.

Sources

@RuiterWrongFAN 2026-08-24T17:02:53.771398+00:00

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