Todd Monken clarifies comments on Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken clarified his recent comments regarding quarterback Deshaun Watson, explaining that his description of Watson as a ‘still very young player’ referred to his experience level rather than his chronological age. Watson, who is 31 and a 10-year NFL veteran, has recently dealt with Achilles tendon injuries and a period of inactivity.

Monken noted that the phrasing was intended to reflect the ‘buffer’ needed for a player to rebuild confidence and adjust to a new system after being away from the game. He emphasized that Watson is still learning the offense and working on consistency with his drops and reads.

The clarification follows a successful performance by Watson, who led the Browns to a 23-19 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In that game, Watson completed 24 of 30 pass attempts for 238 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover, showing improvement in processing reads and reducing his sack total compared to the previous week.