Deshaun Watson 'Widely Seen' Within Browns as 'Best' QB Over Shedeur Sanders, New NFL Rumors Reveal

Despite Cleveland Browns veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson's struggles in Sunday's season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he reportedly hasn't fallen out of favor with the organization.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that Watson is "widely seen internally as the best option" for the Browns over backup quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Watson threw an interception on the fifth play of the game and finished with just 205 yards and a garbage-time touchdown in Cleveland's 34-10 loss to Jacksonville. Fans on social media panned his performance in the first half and called for Sanders to replace him after just one game.

According to Breer, Browns first-year head coach Todd Monken tabbed Watson as Cleveland's starting quarterback while "knowing that it'd be much easier to pull the plug on him and go to Sanders than to do the opposite." Breer added that Monken "did leave open the possibility that a change would come in-season."

Watson accepted responsibility for Cleveland's poor offensive performance, and he expressed confidence that he would be better in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"We left a lot out there, so obviously, I'll take that responsibility full throttle," he told reporters . "We gotta look at the tape and see how we can be better and try to attack Tampa Bay next week to be able to get points on the board to be able to get a win."

Still, it can be expected that any further struggles by Watson will only make the calls for Sanders grow louder as the Browns go through a tough early-season slate.