Browns' Deshaun Watson makes concerning admission about prior version of himself

Pockets of Cleveland Browns fans are angry that veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson will start the club's preseason opener at the Chicago Bears this coming Saturday over Shedeur Sanders.

Watson reportedly has no future with the Browns beyond the 2026 season, while Sanders is a second-year pro who presumably could still reach what was once an advertised high ceiling. 

The perception exists that first-year Browns head coach Todd Monken may name Watson the team's Week 1 starter because Monken believes Watson can reclaim the form that made him a three-time Pro Bowl selection when the signal-caller was with the Houston Texans from the 2017 NFL Draft through the 2021 season. On Wednesday, Watson shared a worrisome admission regarding what he was during his best days with the Texans. 

Deshaun Watson is "different" than he was when he was a Pro Bowler

"I’m different, man," Watson acknowledged, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "I think, ever since I’ve been here, early on bringing up Houston was cool, but I’m 30 now, and I’ve had some injuries and things like that, so my game has definitely changed. But the mentality in how I play, and how I approach it, doesn’t change. So, I think the biggest thing is just going out there, playing free, and letting my instincts take over. That’s the biggest thing. ...I think that’s the biggest thing, just go out there, play free, and let the game come to you."

Watson sat out the 2021 season amid his desire to be traded, and he ultimately received a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract as part of joining the Browns from the Texans in March 2022. During his first campaign with Cleveland, he had to serve an 11-game suspension related to allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. His 2023 season ended prematurely because of a shoulder injury, and he hasn't appeared in an NFL game since he suffered the first of what became two Achilles injuries in October 2024.

Todd Monken responds to Deshaun Watson claim

Watson reportedly "has the slight edge in the competition" to win the Browns' Week 1 starting job over Sanders. That said, Sanders will get a chance to impress when he starts Cleveland's home game versus the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 22. On Wednesday, Monken responded to Watson's comments about the old version of the once-promising quarterback now being a thing of the past. 

"I would never put limitations on a player," Monken said. "I’d hate that he would do that. Why can’t he be? Why can’t he play like that? I don’t know, I haven’t seen it yet. I’m not going to say he can’t until I see it. I’ve seen a lot of really good things over the course of the four or five months I’ve been here. I’m not going to put that on him. If he thinks he can’t play like that, that’s on him. I think he’s done a lot of really good things athletically, making plays that we’re going to get a chance to see, because we’re not live. We’ll see if that comes to play when we get out there and go."

If it appears that Watson can no longer play as he did in 2020, he could find that his days as an NFL starter are over.