Browns' Deshaun Watson 'never doubted' he'd start over Shedeur Sanders vs. Texans, addresses facing former team

The Cleveland Browns confirmed some expected news when they announced on Wednesday morning that Deshaun Watson will resume serving as their starting quarterback over second-year pro Shedeur Sanders when 5-4 Cleveland hosts the 3-5 Houston Texans this coming Sunday. 

As shared by Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Watson said later in the morning that he never doubted he'd be Cleveland's QB1 once he was able to fully practice ahead of a game. 

Deshaun Watson hyped to get Browns "back on the winning track"

Per Cabot, Watson noted that he's excited to get the Browns "back on the winning track" while playing in front of the home fans. What was a 5-2 Cleveland team is coming off back-to-back losses, while Watson missed practices last week after he entered the NFL's concussion protocol following the 27-6 defeat at the rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 1. 

Sanders started Cleveland's game at the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 8, and he completed 19-of-31 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-22 overtime loss. While it was first reported on Monday that Watson would get the start against Houston, first-year Browns head coach Todd Monken declined to confirm later on Monday that would be the case. 

"I'm not sure," Watson said when asked why Monken seemed on Monday to leave the door open for Sanders to start against the Texans. "You'd have to ask Monk about that. My job is to just come in every day, whatever is required for the day." 

Per Scott Petrak of The Chronicle-Telegram and Medina Gazette, Watson was also asked if he's confident he'll remain Cleveland's starter for the rest of this season. 

"That's up to Monk and the front office," Watson responded. "My job is to come in and win the day." 

Watson then repeated that the front office will decide who starts and who sits. 

How responsible Watson was for the five fourth-quarter game-winning drives he recorded from Week 2 through Week 7 became a hot topic on Cleveland sports-radio programming. ESPN stats show that he began Wednesday ranked 28th in the NFL among 31 qualified players with a 40.8 adjusted QBR on the season. Cleveland enters its bye after the Houston game, and the Browns presumably could use that break to turn to Sanders. 

Deshaun Watson doesn't seem to care about facing his former team

The Texans made Watson a first-round pick during the 2017 NFL Draft, and he played for that franchise through the 2020 season. He then sat through the 2021 campaign after he requested a trade, and the Texans ultimately sent him to the Browns in March 2022. Back in December 2022, Watson faced his former club.  

"That stuff is in the past," Watson said about once again going up against the Texans. "Four, five years ago, yeah, it was a big deal. But now, I think both sides have moved on, and we're both trying to find ways to win and continue to put ourselves in position for later on down the road."