The Cleveland Browns recently named Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback for Week 1 of the regular season, and despite criticism about the decision from fans and media members, Cleveland is full steam ahead with Watson as QB1.
That was on display Tuesday, during the Browns’ final training camp practice. As the team turns its focus to the Week 1 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland gave a hint of what its offense will look like with Watson under center.
Browns reporter Tony Grossi shared that there was an emphasis on designed quarterback runs, making it clear that head coach Todd Monken wants Watson’s legs to be a big part of Cleveland’s offense.
"Monken has said repeatedly, during training camp, that he wants to take advantage of [Deshaun] Watson‘s legs, his athletic ability. He has incorporated some designed runs that were on display [Tuesday], and Watson is actually really excited about it."
The Browns may be planning to lean on Deshaun Watson's legs in 2026
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, because Monken is best known for his work as Lamar Jackson’s offensive coordinator. Additionally, when Watson was the best version of himself with the Houston Texans, his rushing ability was a big part of his game.
It was always expected that quarterback runs would be featured in the offense if Watson was ultimately named starter. The Browns did install quarterback runs while the competition between Watson and Shedeur Sanders was unfolding, but they now seem to be taking things up a notch.
In Watson’s presser after being named the starter, he hinted that would be the case.
"There’s a lot of things, too, that me and [Todd Monken] talked personally that we haven’t showcased. We haven’t showcased my full talent and ability to run in this offense, being able to run and being able to use my athletic ability, getting outside the pocket, being able to do some other QB-driven stuff. So, I’m excited to see what we can cook up getting ready for Week 1."
Naturally, there will be a lot of skepticism about running a soon-to-be 31-year-old quarterback, who has dealt with significant injuries like a torn Achilles and broken bone in his throwing shoulder in recent years. Considering Watson’s injury history, a case could be made that quarterback runs would be counterproductive to trying to keep him healthy.
Ultimately, the Browns are happy with how the veteran quarterback looks physically, and they believe his rushing ability will raise the ceiling of the Browns' offense. That means Cleveland will just do what they believe is best for the team, and let the chips fall where they may. Time will tell if that’s Deshaun Watson returning to the old version of himself, Shedeur Sanders quickly getting his number called, or somewhere in the middle.
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