The Cleveland Browns are about to make the decision everyone has been waiting on, and Deshaun Watson is right in the middle of it.

Head coach Todd Monken is expected to name Cleveland’s Week 1 starting quarterback Monday, and the timing couldn’t be more interesting after Watson was loudly booed by Browns fans during Saturday’s preseason game.

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Watson didn’t help himself with the reaction afterward, but Monken seemed far more interested in what happens next than what happened in the stands.

That could matter.

The Browns open the regular season with back-to-back road games against Jacksonville and Tampa Bay before finally returning home in Week 3 against Carolina. If Monken is leaning toward Watson, that schedule gives him a convenient runway to see whether improved play can change the conversation.

And right now, that may be Cleveland’s biggest gamble.

If Watson starts well and the Browns somehow come home 2-0, the atmosphere surrounding him could look completely different. Winning has a way of making ugly preseason moments disappear quickly.

If he struggles, though, the leash probably won’t be long.

That’s the important part of this quarterback decision. Whoever gets named QB1 Monday shouldn’t assume he’s been handed the job for the entire season. Cleveland’s starter is really getting the first opportunity to keep the job.

And that makes every early possession matter.

Watson has already become one of the most scrutinized players on the roster after his uneven play and the hostile response from the home crowd. Monken now has to decide whether he still believes Watson gives Cleveland the best chance to win immediately or whether another quarterback has done enough to force a change.

The answer may already be decided internally.

Monken is scheduled to speak with reporters Monday afternoon, so the official announcement should come before or during that availability. Of course, quarterback news rarely stays secret for long. Once coaches, players and agents begin hearing the decision, there’s always a chance it leaks before Monken ever reaches the podium.

Either way, Cleveland won’t have to wait much longer.

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The Browns are about to reveal their first quarterback of the 2026 season.

The bigger question is how long he’ll stay there.