Browns coach highlights encouraging signs and lingering issues after quarterback's first game since October 2024 Achilles tear.
Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken said quarterback Deshaun Watson "functioned at a high level" during his return to game action in the team's preseason opener against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Saturday, marking Watson's first appearance since tearing his Achilles tendon in October 2024. Watson played the first half of the game, completing 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards and leading two scoring drives that accounted for all 10 of Cleveland's points in a 34-10 loss. Monken delivered his assessment during a postgame press conference, balancing praise for Watson's rhythm and command of the offense with acknowledgment that turnovers and pre-snap execution still need work.
The game represented a significant milestone for Watson, who had not taken a competitive snap since suffering the Achilles injury against the Cincinnati Bengals on October 20, 2024, an injury that ended his previous season. His performance against Chicago was closely watched by the organization and by fans eager to see how the mobile quarterback would move and operate behind center after such a serious injury.
Monken's Postgame Assessment of Watson's Return
Monken did not shy away from areas that require improvement, telling reporters there was "a lot to clean up," including two additional turnovers beyond what showed up in the box score. He specifically flagged pre-snap issues, saying the offense cannot continue taking unnecessary timeouts or committing delay-of-game penalties.
Despite those concerns, Monken's overall tone toward Watson was overwhelmingly positive. "It was awesome," Monken said. "It was so cool to watch him play." He added that Watson "was having fun today and that is so cool," a comment that reflected both the coach's satisfaction with the on-field product and his awareness of the broader narrative surrounding Watson's comeback.
Monken's most pointed evaluation centered on the quarterback's operational execution. "I thought he really functioned at a high level," Monken said. "We don't want to be taking timeouts, we sure as heck can't take delay of games. But it was fun watching him play and watching us put the next step forward and see where we are at." The coach also referenced "all of the frustration — fans, himself" that had built up around Watson's situation, framing the performance as a credit to Watson's preparation and rehabilitation work.
Breaking Down Watson's Statistical Performance
Watson's first-half numbers reflected a quarterback who was sharp early and settled into rhythm as the game progressed. He opened the game completing 10 of his first 11 attempts, with the lone incompletion in that stretch coming on a receiver drop, before finishing 11 of 15 for 126 yards by halftime. He was sacked once during his time on the field.
The Browns spread the ball to six different receivers while Watson was in the game, an approach that allowed him to work through relatively manageable throws as he shook off rust from the long layoff. His two scoring drives were the only ones Cleveland produced all game, meaning every point the team scored came during Watson's stint at quarterback before he gave way to backup competition Shedeur Sanders for the second half.
Quarterback Competition Still Unresolved Entering Season
Watson's performance arrives amid an ongoing quarterback competition between him and Sanders, a battle Monken has repeatedly declined to resolve publicly. Ahead of the preseason opener, the Browns confirmed Watson would start, with Monken noting he had "specific reasons" for the sequencing while insisting the job remained open. "I have my reasons for how it's going to go, and it's still a competition," Monken said before the game.
In the months leading up to the preseason opener, Monken had said both quarterbacks "played well enough to earn the right to compete to start," and he used similar language in June to describe both Watson and Sanders functioning "at a high level" during practice sessions, while also flagging pre-snap issues then. At the scouting combine earlier in the year, Monken pushed back against grading Watson before seeing him play, comparing it to grading a student before an exam and noting Watson had previously shown a skill set at an "elite level."
Context Surrounding Watson's Career and Comeback
Watson's 2020 season remains the benchmark for that elite production, when he led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards, threw 33 touchdowns against seven interceptions, and completed 70.2 percent of his passes. That peak came before a suspension for sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions reshaped public perception of his career, a controversy Monken alluded to when referencing fan and personal frustration surrounding Watson's recent trajectory.
Monken has said he witnessed "a lot of really good things" from Watson athletically over several months of practice before the preseason opener, describing plays that reinforced his belief in the quarterback's remaining upside. The coach has also emphasized that preseason win-loss records matter less to him than the quality of execution his team shows on the field, a standard that will continue shaping how Watson and Sanders are evaluated in the weeks ahead as Cleveland finalizes its starting quarterback decision.
