Commander Country

Browns Reveal Deshaun Watson as Starting QB vs. Commanders

Deshaun Watson will start in the Cleveland Browns' preseason opener against the Washington Commanders.

Jeremy Brener

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The Washington Commanders will be tested against one of the league's best quarterbacks in Friday's preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns have announced that Deshaun Watson will take the first snaps for Cleveland in the game against Washington after not playing in the Hall of Fame Game against the New York Jets.

Watson, who turns 28 next month, played in just six games last season for the Browns after receiving an 11-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the league during his time with the Houston Texans.

His conduct, along with a trade request, soured the end of his tenure with the Texans, which resulted in a blockbuster deal to the Browns for three future first-round picks.

Watson went 3-3 in six starts last season for the Browns throwing for 1,102 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions.

As for the Commanders, a starter has yet to be named, but both Jacoby Brissett and Sam Howell have gotten reps with the first-team offense at some point during training camp.

Howell is likely in the lead to become the team's Week 1 starter against the Arizona Cardinals given his youth and upside, but Brissett could win the job with a good showing in training camp.

The Commanders and Browns face off Friday night at FirstEnergy Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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