Deshaun Watson takes curious shot at media, discusses facing Bucs' Baker Mayfield in revenge spot

First-year Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken raised eyebrows when he said on Monday that he could only "anticipate" that Deshaun Watson would remain the team's starting quarterback for the Week 2 game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

That said, the Browns confirmed the status of their depth chart when Watson served as their QB1 for Wednesday's media availability. While speaking with reporters, Watson was asked whether he feels he has to play well against the Buccaneers to keep his job for Cleveland's home opener, a Week 3 game against the Carolina Panthers, on Sept. 27.

Deshaun Watson suggests "media" has unrealistic expectations for him

"I think, personally, all that is for the media," Watson responded, as shared by Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I think the media has this expectation that I'm supposed to throw for 400 yards and five touchdowns every week. So, until that happens, I guess it's gonna be the same situation. My job is to make sure I’m playing well so that we can get a win and keep moving forward." 

Watson's grip on the Cleveland QB1 job came into question as he struggled while completing 11-of-17 passes for just 100 yards with an interception through the first three quarters of Cleveland's 34-10 Week 1 loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 13. At least one report from earlier on Wednesday hinted that the Browns could turn to Shedeur Sanders either during or after the Tampa Bay game if Watson once again plays poorly. 

Deshaun Watson addresses revenge-spot factor

It's widely assumed that Buccaneers starting quarterback Baker Mayfield will want to get revenge against the Browns, the team that replaced him with Watson in March 2022. Watson received a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract as part of joining the Browns at that time, while Mayfield inked a three-year extension reportedly worth $165M earlier in September. 

"I respect Baker and everything he did ever since college," Watson said when asked about the possible Mayfield revenge spot. "We've been playing against each other since college. So, he's a hell of a player, hell of a quarterback. And, you know, they paid him for a reason." 

Barring an injury, Mayfield will be the Buccaneers' starter until further notice. It remains to be seen if the same will be said about Watson following Sunday's game. 

As of Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Browns as 8.5-point road underdogs against the Buccaneers.