My Thoughts On Why Deshaun Watson Is Starting

Many Cleveland Browns fans are shaking their heads when Browns Coach Todd Monken announced Deshaun Watson was quarterback No.1. The conventional wisdom was that Shedur Sanders did enough too win the starting job from Watson. Was that the case or are their underlying factors playing into why he didn’t? Let’s take a look at the five reasons Deshaun Watson was named the starter for the Cleveland Browns.

The first and most obvious reason were the contract that Deshaun Watson carries right now. You cannot afford to pay a guy that kind of money to sit on the bench. Cutting him would be a huge draft hit, and no owner wants to take that right now. Deshaun Watson will continue to play probably until he gets hurt, no matter the performance.

Secondly, this could be an owner’s decision. Many people wonder why the owner would want to lose. The truth is, no matter who is at the helm the Browns are no contenders for The Super Bowl. So far, Cleveland has not really given Shedur Sanders a chance to be QB1. This is very telling if you're Shedur Sanders in his quest to be the starting quarterback. From the outside, this doesn’t look like a power struggle between coach and owner. It looks more like a team searching for a quarterback in the NFL draft in 2027. Cleveland has wanted Arch Manning and the owner is friends with the Mannings so this will be interesting to say the least.

Third reason is Todd Monken Cleveland Browns coach, feels Deshaun Watson gives his best chance to win. Monken wants too win as many games as possible, and he feels Watson is the key. Monken knows that as a Cleveland Browns coach, your days are numbered if you do not get off to a fast start. Making ownership, fans, and players happy is tough, so he just wants to win now. It seems he feels Sanders does not give him the best shot to do that right now. Many fans and people in the know wonder about why did they drafted Sanders if they didn’t plan to play him.

Many people and I am one of those that believe the Browns will never give Shedur Sanders a chance to be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns unless everyone else is hurt. In the two years the Browns have had Sanders, they have shown no confidence in Sanders to lead the team and be their quarterback of the future. Why did they draft Sanders anyway? Is he a wasted draft pick? I think the main reason he was drafted was a way to keep the fan base interested in the team. They knew he was a polarizing figure but had no real plans for him as their quarterback.

In the team’s mind, Deshaun is the safe pick for them, even if the fans hate it and are going nuts about it. It’s all about the new stadium coming, and they have their insights on quarterbacks of the future. Wins and losses right now do not matter to them. They want to have everything in place for the new stadium, and that includes a new quarterback. Arch Manning has always been the quarterback the Browns have wanted. So, Deshaun Watson, Shedur Sanders, and others are just there to hold the mantle until Arch arrives.

The problem with thinking like this is what happens if they do not get Arch Manning or he gets hurt in college. It’s a gamble, but Browns ownership seems is willing to take it with this franchise. I guess we will see with the kind of product that hits the field this year.