The debate over the Browns' starting quarterback is heating up. Fox Sports analyst Brady Quinn has a bold take on Deshaun Watson's future, but NFL fans are not buying it. Here's why the controversy is exploding online.

Brady Quinn joined a call with Ken Carman and Anthony Lima on 92.3 The Fan on Wednesday, where he said he’d start Deshaun Watson in Week 1 if the decision were his.

“If he's healthy and he's able to, then you gotta play him. Then you can move to the younger guy depending how things go.” Quinn stated, “Go with the guy with the most experience and see if there's anything left to salvage because of the commitment you made.”

Deshaun Watson was selected 12th overall by the Houston Texans in the 2017 NFL Draft, securing a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in his first career start on his 22nd birthday.

That was only the beginning, as Watson steadily progressed to lead the Texans to an AFC South title in 2018 while earning his first Pro Bowl selection.

By 2020, he delivered a standout season, leading the league with 4,823 passing yards and recording 33 TDs to just 7 interceptions, earning his third Pro Bowl honor that year.

However, 2021 marked a turning point for Deshaun Watson, as legal issues and personal matters kept him off the field.

Despite that, the Cleveland Browns traded for him, signing him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal.

Since then, a mix of injuries and inconsistent performances has clouded his time with the team. Since joining the Browns, Watson has never played eight games a season, never reaching the 1,200 mark. 19 passing touchdowns in the last four years tells you everything you need to know.

Those numbers would explain why fans are not on board with the Browns following Quinn’s suggestion.

Fans React to Brady Quinn Backing Deshaun Watson

After 92.3 The Fan shared a clip from the interview on its official X account, fans quickly weighed in on former Cleveland Browns QB Brady Quinn’s take.

“Fella’s cmon now.  This ain’t Nintendo, Watson is a person.  This ain’t plug & play where you pick a name from the past & say, “he’s got game experience” what’s his experience the last 5 years?  Pain and misery, that’s it.  He’s not the guy from 2020,” one fan wrote.

Another fan backed Shedeur Sanders over Watson as Sanders accounted for 3 of the Browns’ 5 wins last season. Unlike Watson, Sanders also earned Pro Bowl honors in his rookie year.

“I love brady quinn but no thanks rather do the opposite have sanders start then if he falls on his face let watson play last time watson was out there he was horrible 163 yd/gm 6-3 td/int in 7-8 games that was w/ great talent too he had a good OL and cooper/njoku and the Defense,” one comment read.

Another fan took a more sarcastic jab at Deshaun Watson, calling him out.

“Deshaun doesn't want to play he is very happy collecting on his workman comp claim and slowly fading into the sunset,” the user stated.

Do you side with the fans or with Brady Quinn’s take? Read more at Quarter Back Central!

Written by

Monika Khatai

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote