Deshaun Watson is officially the Browns’ Week 1 starting quarterback, a call head coach Todd Monken made on Monday. This isn’t just a ripple, it’s a massive decision dropped right as the final week of the NFL preseason is upon us, meaning every team in the league is scrambling to trim rosters down to 53 players by Sunday night. It’s full-on decision week, and we’re only a couple of weeks away from the regular season kickoff.
The QB Battle Is Over in Cleveland, For Now
Monken announced the veteran Watson beat out second-year signal-caller Shedeur Sanders in what was a competitive camp battle. So, what was the reasoning? Monken told reporters he “took in the full body of work over the course of the offseason to training camp to the games, the joint practice, and ultimately felt like to start the season on the road, Deshaun gave us the best chance to move the ball and score points.” He stressed it was all about immediate offensive production, though he did acknowledge Sanders’ great job and bright future. Look, Watson hasn’t played a full season since 2020, logging only 19 starts in a Browns uniform. His play has been, let’s just say, mediocre at best, totally falling short of that massive three-first-round-pick trade Cleveland made for him. Over three seasons, Watson’s got a 9,10 record, completing 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Now, all eyes are on Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Can he deliver? We’re about to find out.
Texans Grab a New Weapon in WR Kayshon Boutte
Meanwhile, the Houston Texans and New England Patriots pulled off a rare player swap, with the Texans acquiring wide receiver Kayshon Boutte from the Patriots on Monday. Houston sent safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round draft pick to New England to get it done. The Texans made this move to bolster their receiving depth after Jayden Higgins suffered a season-ending ACL injury in joint practice last week. Boutte joins Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones as new additions to that receiving room. Boutte put up 33 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns for the Patriots last season, but New England moved him after trading for Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown and signing former Packers pass catcher Romeo Doubs this offseason. Boutte had actually addressed the trade speculation during camp, saying he was “just blocking out the noise” and focusing on being present. He’ll now be catching passes alongside Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel, and Tank Dell in Houston.
With decision week wrapping up and Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars looming for the Browns, and the Texans integrating their new WR, the league is truly kicking into high gear. It’s almost go-time, folks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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