Deshaun Watson returned to the starting lineup Sunday for his first football game in nearly two years, and the Cleveland Browns quarterback endured the kind of outing many had feared.
Watson, 31, had not played since Oct. 20, 2024, after tearing and then re-tearing his Achilles. On Cleveland’s opening possession, he threw a costly interception from the Jaguars’ 28-yard line, an early mistake that helped set up Jacksonville’s 34-10 win.
The Browns quarterback appeared not to notice Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun positioned in the middle of the field. Afterward, Watson offered an explanation for the turnover that is unlikely to calm concerns among Cleveland fans.
“Bad plays are going to happen all the time,” Watson told reporters after the game. “You look all around the league, everyone throws interceptions, everyone makes bad plays. And you’ve got to give the defense credit. [Oluokun] made a good play on that. Even though I got knocked off my platform a little bit, I thought I got it over him and he reached up and grabbed it.
“You’ve got to move on to the next play and try to move forward and try to put something positive on the next drive, and we weren’t able to do that. It didn’t really bother up my confidence.”
MORE STORY: Kylie Kelce’s BareMinerals Foundation for a Blurred Look
Jacksonville turned the interception into a touchdown and quickly seized control, building a commanding 24-0 advantage by halftime.
Cleveland’s struggles continued after Watson’s interception, with the Browns going three-and-out on each of their next two drives. First-round rookie receiver KC Concepcion then fumbled on the second play of the team’s fourth possession.
Watson connected with second-round rookie Denzel Boston for a 46-yard touchdown in garbage time. He finished 16-of-22 for 205 yards, absorbed five sacks and added 38 rushing yards on six carries.
First-year Browns coach Todd Monken chose Watson over Shedeur Sanders before the season, saying at the time that the quarterback decision was “not a week-to-week decision.”
Following the lopsided loss to the Jaguars, however, Monken declined to commit to Watson starting next Sunday on the road against the Buccaneers.