Browns' Watson: Preseason a 'showcase' chance

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson said the preseason will be a "great opportunity" after a pair of Achilles surgeries that have sidelined him for almost two years. "I haven't played football in a long time, so for me, it doesn't matter how long I play, how many games I play. I just want to play football," Watson said Saturday. "A lot of people wrote me off and said that I wouldn't be playing football again after two Achilles injuries. So I'm proving that wrong, and I'm proving myself right. So it's a great opportunity for me to get out there and showcase what I can do." Watson, 30, tore his right Achilles tendon in October 2024 and had a second surgery in January 2025 after retearing his Achilles before missing the entire 2025 season. He has played in only 19 games because of suspension and injuries since being traded to the Browns in March 2022. Now healthy, Watson is competing with Shedeur Sanders to be the Browns' starting quarterback. Cleveland coach Todd Monken said he intends to play starters and both quarterbacks in the preseason. Watson and Sanders have been alternating reps with the starting offense every other practice. Entering Saturday, Watson has thrown three interceptions in three practices, but he downplayed the spate of turnovers. "This is the perfect time to be able to make all the mistakes you possibly can because it doesn't really count," he said. "And you don't want to get into a game and you haven't ran that or tried it out and try it in a game and it goes wrong. So there's a fine line, but you just got to know and understand what we're working on." Monken said the interceptions can be used as positive lessons -- within reason. "Now is the time to push the envelope in a lot of ways to see where they're at," Monken said. "Certainly don't want the interceptions, and too many of them are beyond a teaching tool. At some point you're like, OK, I'm beyond being taught here. OK, stop throwing the ball." Sanders on Saturday described his increased comfort level in Year 2 after beginning his NFL career as the No. 4 quarterback before eventually starting the final seven games of his rookie season. "I would say I pretty much figured myself out, figured out my routine, learned about myself way more, and I'm overall happy with the process," Sanders said.