Deshaun Watson Camp Update — August 31: Named the Week One Starter

Deshaun Watson is Cleveland's Week One starting quarterback. Todd Monken made it official Monday after a competition he called "close," saying Watson gives the offense "the best chance to move the ball and score points" at Jacksonville, with the decision drawn from "the full body of work over the course of offseason, to training camp, to the games," per Scott Petrak at BrownsZone. Watson's own words put two years of context on it: "This is what I've been working for two years is to be able to show that I'm capable of being a starter for one of the 32 organizations in this league," per Petrak.

The same day, he walked back the comments he'd made about the fans after being booed by the home crowd during the August 20-second game against Buffalo. "My emotions got the best of me and my comments weren't intended to go at any of the fans around the city," he said, adding, "I just want to make sure that I can give the city something to think about in the first two games," per Petrak. Monken, asked directly whether fan opinion factored into the quarterback decision, said "Absolutely not," per Petrak. Last week's episode noted that Monken had not publicly responded to Watson's comments in any reporting we could attribute; that is the nearest thing this week produced.

Not everyone on the record agrees with the call. Petrak's own analysis the following day argued it "doesn't make sense for present or future," describing Watson as turning 31 next month, in the final year of his contract, and outplayed by Shedeur Sanders on the field since the latter part of the offseason program — Petrak's characterizations, in an opinion column. Zachary Pereles at CBS Sports called it "the wrong one, even if it's right in a football sense." Both are reported here as what they are.

Watson did not play Thursday's finale, per Petrak, so his last live snaps remain the third quarter he played against Buffalo on August 20-second. What he inherits took shape Sunday: Sanders as his backup with rookie Taylen Green third and Dillon Gabriel on injured reserve, per Petrak; a receiver room of six that no longer includes Cedric Tillman, waived Thursday, per Petrak; and a right guard job Monken had not closed as of Saturday, with rookie Austin Barber pushing Teven Jenkins — "I don't think it's done yet," per Petrak. Back in June we framed the Watson bet as two unknowns resolving in public, the rebuilt Achilles and the starting job. The job is now settled, his way, off a week last week's episode called his worst of the summer — and the Achilles drew no new reporting at all. One unknown left, and it gets tested in Jacksonville. We'll check back when the games begin.

_Data via nflverse._