Browns news: Deshaun Watson speaks up on proving his NFL clock hasn't run out

After being named the Cleveland Browns ' starting quarterback for Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars , all eyes are on Deshaun Watson to see if he can return to his vintage form, or if he will be exiled to the bench for good in favor of a deep QB room headlined by Shedeur Sanders .

While the general mood around watching Watson start at quarterback in 2026 isn't exactly high, the former Houston Texans star doesn't think fans should write him off just yet, as he still believes he can be a high-quality starter at the NFL level.

"I can't focus on the future. I got to focus on now. You know, if I try to look ahead and I get distracted on not focusing on what I need to do now, then, you know, who knows what the future might hold," Watson said.

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"So all I can do is control these moments now, these opportunities I have now. And I want to be just like Todd Monkin said, like, you know, he's 60, he feels like this is his shot. So, you know, me being on my last year of my deal and, you know, being Year 10, I feel like this is my opportunity to be up there, go and showcase that I can still play in this league. And I can; I want to continue to play in this league. So this is my opportunity to do that."

With 2025 exclusively spent rehabbing multiple Achilles injuries and setbacks, it's been almost two years since fans last saw Watson on a football field. Will he look like the player who threw for almost 5,000 yards in 2020? Or will Watson instead turn in another sub-1,200-yard passing season, resulting in another lost season in a Brown uniform? Fans will find out soon enough.