Even with less than a month remaining before the 2026 season starts, there will always be a debate over whether Deshaun Watson is the right person to become the starting quarterback, especially after his inconsistencies in Cleveland and multiple injuries. But if the offseason has told us anything, it’s that Watson is mentally prepared to make the most of the opportunity. That was evident in his social media posts and whenever head coach Todd Monken talked about him. However, Watson seems to have different thoughts on the matter.

“I’m different, man. I think ever since I’ve been here early on, bringing up Houston was cool, but I’m 30 now,” Watson said when asked about whether he envisions the same playing style he had in Houston. “I had some injuries and things like that. So, my game has definitely changed. But the mentality in how I play and how I approach it doesn’t.”

That’s probably one of the most blunt things to say when the season is almost here. However, Watson’s own assessment didn’t sit well with Coach Monken. While talking to the reporters, Monken refused to admit that Watson can’t be the QB he was with the Houston Texans.

“I would never put limitations on a player. I’d hate that he would do that,” Monken said on Wednesday. “Why can’t he be? Why can’t he play like that? I don’t know. I haven’t seen him yet. I’m not going to say he can’t until I see it. Right? Until we see it. Right? I’ve seen a lot of really good things over the course of the four or five months I’ve been here.

“I’m not going to put that on him. If he thinks he can’t play like that, that’s on him. I think he’s done a lot of really good things athletically, making plays. We’re going to get a chance to see, right? Because we’re not live. We’ll see. We’ll see if that comes to play when we get out there and go.”

There’s no denying that Watson’s time with the Cleveland Browns has totally been a bust. At the same time, the veteran signal-caller will turn 31 in a month. While he’s competing with Shedeur Sanders for the starting quarterback role, it’s clear that Watson isn’t expecting to play the same way he did in Houston, especially after suffering multiple injuries.

Watson’s 2023 season was cut short after he went down with a season-ending right shoulder injury. While he surely returned to start in the 2024 season, the quarterback suffered an Achilles tear, missing the rest of the season. Then, in January 2025, Watson suffered a re-rupture to his right Achilles tendon, forcing him to miss the entire 2025 season. Now, he’s entering the final year of his five-year deal with the Browns.

Whether he becomes the QB1 and plays as he played with the Texans remains to be seen. Before joining the Browns, Deshaun Watson spent his first four seasons with the Texans. During the stretch, he started 53 out of 54 games and threw for 14,539 yards, 104 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions, while earning three Pro Bowl nods and leading the league in passing yards in 2020. The 2026 season will carry significant weight for the QB after returning from injury.