However, Sanders also had an inconsistent preseason and will now begin the season as the No. 2 quarterback behind Watson, who has been a polarizing figure in Cleveland since he arrived in 2022.
Cleveland signed Watson to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct. Two Texas grand juries declined to pursue criminal charges, but the NFL gave Watson an 11-game suspension to begin his tenure in Cleveland.
The 30-year-old Watson has not come close to regaining the form he displayed early in his career with the Houston Texans, when he led the league in passing yards in 2020. Due to suspension and injuries, Watson has played just 19 games in four seasons with Cleveland.
Yet Monken, who spent the past three seasons as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator, has not given up on Watson. Monken also said that Watson’s comments on Saturday when he called Cleveland’s fans “disrespectful” for booing him would not factor into the decision on who would start Week 1.
“He emptied his heart a little bit, and I don’t think that says who he is,” Monken said via Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com. “I see the competitor in him. I see the everyday work he puts in, and he wants to be back. He wants to get back to where he was as best he can, and that’s hard. And again, I think the moment just got him after the game, and it can get all of us.”
With the decision at quarterback made, the Browns will try to block out the noise and move forward. Their first two regular season games are on the road at Jacksonville and then at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before returning home to face the Carolina Panthers in Week 3.