“I Feel Awful For The Fans” – Deshaun Watson Being Named Browns’ Starting QB Over Shedeur Sanders Doesn’t Sit Well with Dan Orlovsky

Deshaun Watson will start for the Browns in their 2026 week one game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I Feel Awful For The Fans” – Deshaun Watson Being Named Browns’ Starting QB Over Shedeur Sanders Doesn’t Sit Well with Dan Orlovsky

Deshaun Watson (Image via IMAGO)

Todd Monken naming Deshaun Watson as the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback over Shedeur Sanders has sent shockwaves across the NFL. Although Watson is experienced, he hasn’t played competitive football for nearly two years. His only snaps came during the two preseason games.

The Browns fans heavily booed Watson in last week’s fixture. He later called out the fandom for “disrespecting” him.

Monken made it clear that Watson’s statement or past will not affect his decision to select the club’s starting quarterback against their week one opponents, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

On Monday, Monken named Deshaun Watson the starter. Dan Orlovsky was shocked to hear the news. On Monday’s episode of ESPN’s First Take, Orlovsky criticized Monken for picking Watson over Shedeur Sanders even though fans would rather see the second-year man under center.

Orlovsky praised both Monken and general manager Andrew Berry for assembling a strong team, but the one area the former NFL signal-caller feels they shouldn’t have messed up is the quarterback spot.

I feel awful for the fans of the Cleveland Browns. I had no idea how you could witness what witnessed in that press conference and it not be part of your evaluation and decision.

Dan Orlovsky said

Watson was mercilessly booed by the Browns fans at Huntington Park during their heavy defeat to the Buffalo Bills. In the post-game presser, Watson asserted he would prefer to play all 17 games outside of Cleveland because at least they don’t make him feel disrespected.

Watson had 5 completions of 12 pass attempts for 36 yards and a turnover in the Bills game. It was a complete 360 compared to the first preseason game in Chicago, where he threw for 126 yards on 12 completions.

Sanders threw interceptions in both fixtures. However, he outperformed his veteran teammate in the second game. Sanders went 9 of 11 passes for 74 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Experts argued that Sanders had done enough to win the job. But Monken’s announcement left everyone scratching their heads.

To have [Deshaun Watson]… have that interaction [in the media], the comments that he made… at a town, and city and a football fanbase and franchise like Cleveland, and to sit there and be like “don’t boo me,” and it’s more than just performance, the tone deaf element of that and then to name him the starting quarterback less than 48 hours out of it. I feel bad for… truly, truly feel awful for that fanbase.

Orlovsky added

NFL analyst gives his honest opinion on the Browns naming Deshaun Watson the starting quarterback

Daniel Jeremiah went live on NFL Network after Watson’s now-infamous press conference. Jeremiah bluntly suggested that the Browns should cut Watson and hand Sanders the QB1 job.

"I Feel Awful For The Fans" - Deshaun Watson Being Named Browns' Starting QB Over Shedeur Sanders Doesn't Sit Well With Dan Orlovsky
Deshaun Watson (Image via IMAGO)

On Monday, Jeremiah appeared on the Dan Patrick Show and pointed out that Monken had already made up his mind before announcing the starter.

I thought when you horsed Todd Monken the game the other day, having the chance to heard and taking in what Deshaun said, and mentions specifically, ‘whatever was said in that press conference would have nothing to do with the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns.’ They basically announced the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns.

Daniel Jeremiah told Dan Patrick

Jeremiah watched both Watson’s and Sanders’ performances closely and concluded that both played a similar style of football. Monken chose experience over style points even if it meant angering the fan base.

Then again, the Browns strategically lowered the average age of their players. They traded away Myles Garrett and added several young receivers to the offense. For the Browns to then turn to Watson instead of Sanders deviated from that philosophy.

The Browns traded their first-round draft picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024, as well as the Browns’ third-round pick in 2023 and fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024, to the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson and a 2024 sixth-round draft pick. The Browns signed Watson to a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal.

Since then, Watson has posted a 9-10 record in the regular season. In 2024, he suffered an ACL tear and, a few months later, tore his other ACL, missing the entire 2025 season.

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