Browns name starting quarterback, sources say

The Cleveland Browns have reportedly settled on Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback for the upcoming season, according to reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Watson, 30, is expected to take the field in the team's first game, which will be a road matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

His decision to start comes after he played in the Browns' first two preseason games, despite suffering an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2025 season. Watson will be backed up by Shedeur Sanders, who will serve as the team’s backup quarterback. Neither Watson nor Sanders will participate in the Browns' final preseason game on Thursday, with Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green set to take the field against the New England Patriots in that game.