Cleveland Browns announcing Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback for Week 1 over Shedeur Sanders has left many NFL experts, including Dan Orlovsky, shocked. Orlovsky recently sympathised with Browns fans after the stunning call.
Watson was booed by Browns fans on Saturday after a substandard game against the Buffalo Bills’ second- and third-stringers. The veteran could only complete five of his 12 pass attempts for 35 yards and an interception.
With this, another chapter has been added to the Browns’ long-running quarterback mess. Since the 1999 NFL Draft, the Browns have started more quarterbacks than any other team in the league.
The snub of Sanders, a fan favourite who was considered to be the Browns’ QB1, has come as a shock not only to fans but also to former NFL players like Orlovsky.
Photo by Jason Miller/Getty ImagesDan Orlovsky stunned as Browns snub Sanders for WatsonOrlovsky reacted to the Browns’ decision during a discussion on First Take, saying he was shocked and felt awful for the Browns fans.
“I am shocked,” Orlovsky said. “I feel awful for the fans of the Cleveland Browns. I have no idea how you could witness what you witnessed in that press conference and it not being a part of your evaluation in the decision.
“I think the world of Todd Monken, I think he’s a great coach. I think the world of Andrew Berry, I think he’s put together really good football teams. I have no idea how they could make this decision.
“If this was strictly a football decision ‘fifty-fifty,’ start the guy you want. Last week I thought in preseason week 1 Deshaun played better than Shedeur, week two wasn’t even close Shedeur was remarkably better than Deshaun.
“Performance this Saturday from Deshaun was not good, it was very poor. To name him the starting quarterback less than 48 hours out of it, I truly truly feel awful for that fanbase,” he concluded.
Orlovsky’s and fans’ concerns over Watson’s selection are justified, particularly after looking at his numbers with Cleveland.
Watson has played only 19 games for the team since joining them in 2022. He has completed 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while recording an 80.7 passer rating.
Sanders, meanwhile, has had some much better performances, even against the Bills, he completed 9 of 11 passes (81.8%) for 74 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also recorded an 87.1 passer rating, along with two rushing yards on one carry and was sacked once for no loss.
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