Browns coach Todd Monken said it was “cool” and “awesome” to watch Deshaun Watson play on Saturday. It was Watson’s first game of any kind since Oct. 20, 2024.
The quarterback, who is competing with Shedeur Sanders for the starting job, was 11-of-15 for 126 yards and lost a fumble in the first half. The Browns scored 10 points while Watson was in the game.
He may have won the starting job.
“It goes back to what Todd and the organization and coaching staff want,” Watson said. “Every opportunity I get, I want to continue to improve and take one step forward. Every day will be a challenge, but that’s the whole thing about the NFL. It’s a business, and every day is a challenge.”
Watson has played only 19 games since the Browns acquired him in a 2022 offseason trade with the Texans. He served an 11-game suspension in 2022, underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in 2023 and twice tore his Achilles, which kept him out 10 games in 2024 and all of 2025.
Watson might be the only person who hasn’t doubted his future.
“I don’t think that’s anything I doubted in myself,” Watson said. “That’s why I’ve worked hard these last two years to get back to that. I had some challenges with injuries and a suspension. Now being able to get a full offseason and work my way back up — you know, it takes time. But at the same time, I don’t doubt myself in any way that I can’t play at a high level.”
Watson, who turns 31 in September, said he had no problem with his Achilles. He experienced brief numbness in his forearm during the game.
“It was just my forearm and elbow,” Watson said. “Just a little numbness, but it went away as the game continued to go on. It was just a little funny bone thing.”
