Deshaun Watson will start the Cleveland Browns' season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 13. Watson, who was named QB1 last week, was the unpopular pick to start but HC Todd Monken has stood by his pick. Regardless, Watson will be under pressure to play at a high level as he enters the final year of his 5-year fully guaranteed contract with the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland media seem split on the QB pick, with many reserving their judgment until the season starts.

ESPN Cleveland's Tony Rizzo spoke about Deshaun Watson on the latest episode of The Really Big Show. Rizzo said that he's backing Watson for now but he will only get a couple of games to prove that he's still capable of being a starter in the NFL. Rizzo also reiterated that his pick would have been Shedeur Sanders:

"Monken doesn't want to see when Watson was bad. Maybe it's on purpose he didn't watch that, because that might have tainted [his view].
I'm praying for the kid.I pray he plays well and we win. He's a Browns quarterback. If he doesn't look good by the Panthers game, I'm making the move to the guy who I thought should be starting all along." [via ESPN Cleveland]

The Deshaun Watson trade has been a disaster so far

When the Browns traded three first-round picks for Deshaun Watson before handing him a $230 million fully guranteed contract, few in Cleveland foresaw the unmitigated disaster this would become. Apart from the off-field allegations, Watson has been objectively terrible in the handful of games he's started for the Browns in the last 4 seasons.

Since signing with the Cleveland Browns, Deshaun Watson has played 19 games, throwing 19 TDs and 7 INTs.

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Pratyay