Browns news: Did you know Deshaun Watson is 7-0 vs. Jaguars?

Deshaun Watson 's return to an NFL regular-season field will come against a team he knows very well.

The Cleveland Browns quarterback enters Sunday's Week 1 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars with an impressive 7-0 career record against them as a starter. Now, Watson will try to make it eight victories in nine meetings overall while making his first regular-season start since 2024. Watson did appear in relief in a loss to the Jaguars in 2017, his rookie season.

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Watson won Cleveland's quarterback competition over Shedeur Sanders during training camp, earning the opportunity to lead the Browns into the 2026 season. Now comes the significantly more difficult part: proving he can still perform at a high level when the games count.

Watson believes communication throughout Cleveland's offense will be crucial.

"The entire offensive staff is communicating," Watson said. "We gotta meet in the middle, we gotta be able to trust the game plan, and I gotta go execute that."

That execution will be under the microscope Sunday. Watson hasn't played particularly well during his Browns tenure, throwing 19 touchdowns across 19 appearances while injuries have repeatedly kept him off the field. His history against Jacksonville at least provides an encouraging starting point.

Watson also appears to have a different appreciation for simply being able to play again after his lengthy absence.

"I try and enjoy each moment because I know how fast it can be taken away," Watson said.

Sunday provides his next one. Beating Jacksonville won't erase everything that has happened during Watson's disappointing Cleveland tenure.

But after nearly two years without a regular-season start, improving his career record against the Jaguars to 8-0 would be a pretty good way to begin his latest comeback.