Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn’t have a very high opinion of Cleveland Browns starting QB Deshaun Watson and last night he made it clear to the entire world that he doesn’t believe Watson will remain a starter for long.
Fitzpatrick was on the call alongside Kirk Herbstreit for last night’s Browns-Patriots preseason game and in the third quarter he stated point-blank that Watson will lose the starting job and Shedeur Sanders would take the reins and get the entire city of Cleveland to rally behind him.
“I think this is set up here for Shedeur… once (Deshaun Watson) fails, Shedeur is going to jump into this thing, and he’s going to be the guy, and this city is going to be behind him,” Fitzpatrick said.
Herbstreit was surprised that Fitzpatrick would say that so confidently and asked him if he really thinks Watson would fail as a starter. The former NFL QB doubled down and replied, “Yeah. It’s gonna happen.”
“That’s that Harvard education.”
Fitzpatrick has always been a fan favorite, on and off the field, and his bold prediction about Watson’s impending failure certainly made some of them downright giddy. Though a few fans joked that it’s hardly a “hot take” since most people seem to believe it.
“Bookmarking this post to repost it in the midseason, when Fitz is proven right,” one user on X declared.
“Obviously Watson will fail. Everyone knows this but Monken and Haslam, apparently,” wrote another.
“A less hot take than predicting the sun will rise tomorrow. lmao get that bum outta the league,” wrote a third.
“That’s that Harvard education,” another remarked.
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Expectations for Watson are certainly about as low as they can possibly get. It’s not even entirely clear if the Browns would have kept him around for as long as they have if it weren’t for his historically bloated contract.
But the 2026 NFL regular season begins in two weeks and the Browns head to Jacksonville in 16 days. Watson will have a lot of work to do to prove his doubters wrong.
