S.I.’s Albert Breer: Why Browns Will Give Deshaun Watson Every Chance to Start

Albert Breer has been looking at the Browns quarterback question the same way for a couple of months, and his conclusion is not sentimental. It is an accounting argument.

Cleveland has poured a staggering amount into Deshaun Watson. By the end of this year, Breer told Rich, the investment will reach roughly $230 million, plus the three first-round picks the Browns traded to acquire him. The return has not come close.

That sunk cost is exactly why Breer thinks Watson starts.

"What would be worse than just striking out on this," Breer said, "would be striking out, not giving a chance this year, and then seeing him go and ball out somewhere else in 2027."

The logic is about protecting against the worst-case scenario. The Browns need to know, for certain, that the top-five quarterback who played at that level from 2017 through 2020 is not still in there somewhere.

"You sort of owe it to yourself to at least give this a run," Breer said.

The sequencing also favors Watson as the opener. Breer pointed out that it is far easier to pull the plug on a veteran four or eight games into a season and hand the job to a young player than to do it the other way around.

"Generally you'll start with your veteran quarterback," Breer said. "You'll see what he's got. And then you get to a point in the season where it's like, okay, now we're going to go with the young guy."

That young guy would be Shedeur Sanders, who flashed as a rookie. Breer allowed for one exception to his own forecast. Sanders could simply beat Watson out outright in camp.

Rich added a wrinkle that works in everyone's favor. New head coach Todd Monken did not draft or acquire any of the quarterbacks currently on the roster. None of them are on his ledger. That makes the entire competition a clean slate.

Breer closed with a historical point that further tilts the projection toward Watson. Recent NFL history has more examples of first-round quarterback reclamation projects working out, names like Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Daniel Jones, than it does of third or fifth-round picks becoming stars.

"If they're going to get top-end quarterback play," Breer said, "it's probably still most likely going to come from Deshaun Watson."

Watson is also working his way back from an Achilles injury, which adds one more variable to a position the Browns have spent four years and a fortune trying to solve.