Deshaun Watson Sparks Major Concerns Just Weeks Before Start Of 2026 Season
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Deshaun Watson showed some good signs in his first preseason start for the Cleveland Browns. But his final chance to lead a late drive left plenty of lingering questions.
Deshaun Watson (Photo Via Imagn Images)
Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards against the Chicago Bears on Aug. 15. The outing marked his first game action in nearly two years. Still, 43 of those yards came on a screen pass to rookie Dylan Sampson.
To make matters worse, Watson lost a fumble after a defender hit his arm in the pocket and never completed a single throw more than 10 yards down the field. ESPN listed his average air yards per attempt at just 4.4.
The Browns really needed him to step up in that two-minute drill, especially since head coach Todd Monken had made that drill an important part of his evaluation.
Watson Misses Key Two-Minute Chance
The opportunity almost disappeared when Chicago held the ball at the two-minute warning. Rookie cornerback Michael Coats Jr. changed that when he intercepted Tyson Bagent and gave Cleveland the ball near midfield.
Watson could not turn the chance into points.
A sack on the first play looked costly, but a defensive penalty erased it. That gave Watson and the Browns a fresh start. Watson then scrambled for a short gain before throwing two straight incomplete passes.
Cleveland punted after using only 17 seconds.
The short possession ended what otherwise looked like a decent outing for Watson. It also failed the exact test Monken wanted to see.
“It was the Deshaun Watson experience. We saw some good. We saw some bad,” former NFL defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said during the halftime show. “As the game went on, we saw him get shaky in the pocket. He got nervous.”
Monken had planned to give both Watson and Shedeur Sanders a similar chance to run the offense during the first two preseason games. He specifically wanted each quarterback to handle a two-minute drill.
Spencer German of Locked On Browns said, “Todd Monken really wanted to see the 2-minute offense with Deshaun Watson. Don’t think it went how he hoped.”
Todd Monken really wanted to see the 2-minute offense with Deshaun Watson. Don’t think it went how he hoped.
— 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 (@Spencito_) August 15, 2026
The Athletic’s Zac Jackson also reflected on the moment on X, “Monken wanted to see a two-minute drill and, well, he just saw it.”
Watson’s performance did not create much separation in Cleveland’s quarterback competition. That leaves the door open for Sanders.
The rookie will start the Browns’ next preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. He should also get more work with Cleveland’s starting offense.
A joint practice with Buffalo will give Sanders another chance to make his case. Watson now has to show more when his next opportunity arrives.
