The big decision the league had been waiting for, or perhaps the decision that Dawg Pound had been dreading, has arrived. The quarterback competition between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson in Cleveland has come to an end.

“Just in: Deshaun Watson has been named Cleveland’s starting quarterback for week 1 at Jacksonville,” ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on X.

This comes a day after Watson was booed during his first home appearance since suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in October 2024.

“It has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said after the 31-7 loss to the Bills. “It’s a little bit personal. I think that’s a disrespectful thing. I’m going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel about that. Just move on.”

The quarterback also referred to the reaction he received when he was injured in 2024, saying Browns fans cheered as he was carted off the field.

“Last time I played on this field, I tore my achilles and that same fanbase, they cheered when I got hurt,” he said. “So what does that have to do with anything about performance? When a person gets hurt, especially for your own city and they cheer.”

Despite the criticism, Cleveland’s coaching staff decided that Watson’s overall body of work made him the best option to start the season. Head coach Todd Monken split opportunities between the two quarterbacks, giving each of them a chance to lead the offense during the preseason.

Watson started the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears and completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards without a touchdown or interception. However, his next outing in the second preseason game ended poorly, with the quarterback completing only 5 of 12 passes for 35 yards and throwing an interception.

Meanwhile, Sanders finished the first game with 6 of 11 passes completed for 79 yards and one interception. In his second preseason appearance, he completed 9 of 11 passes for 74 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

However, the decision to go with Watson does not come as a surprise. There were already reports that the veteran was leading the competition. Critics also suggested that the competition was a sham, pointing out that Sanders was not receiving an equal opportunity in the process.

“All these kids, their teams get behind them. They try to develop them. They give them the most amount of reps,” Cleveland radio host Tony Rizzo said on The Really Big Show. “They are not handing anyone a job. I’m not asking for that. But to say that he’s [Shedeur Sanders] been treated fairly here, it’s ridiculous.”

To be fair, Monken and company did make it clear that they were trying to allow every quarterback to compete for the starting role equally. The head coach has wanted to coach Sanders since his days with the Baltimore Ravens.

However, Sanders has a huge fan base, and the way he was treated last season by the organization made his supporters skeptical about this season as well. Many fans believed the Browns should give the second-year quarterback a longer look before settling on Watson.

Most believe the reason Watson is being chosen as QB1 is connected to his $230 million “big swing-and-miss” contract. As he enters the final year of his four-year deal with Cleveland, the franchise is believed to be banking on getting some value from its massive investment.

The Cleveland Browns gave up three first-round picks and additional draft capital to acquire him from the Houston Texans before handing him the fully guaranteed deal.

For the veteran quarterback, this is a huge opportunity. He will play his first regular-season game since suffering the injury in 2024, and a lot is at stake for him. His performance this season could decide his future in Cleveland and shape how the rest of the NFL views his career.

With the Texans, Watson was at the peak of his career. He made two playoff appearances in four years and led the league with 4,823 passing yards in 2020. He was also selected to three Pro Bowls during his time in Houston. However, since then, the magic has faded.

After being traded to the Browns, Watson faced allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions. Although criminal charges were declined, the NFL suspended him for the first 11 games of the 2022 season.

In four years with Cleveland, Watson has played only 19 games and won nine of them. Injuries, suspension, and inconsistent play have prevented him from becoming the quarterback the Browns believed they were acquiring. Now, he gets another opportunity to change that narrative.