Deshaun Watson wasn’t Todd Monken’s mistake, but he’s the coach’s responsibility now

Todd Monken didn’t trade three first-round picks for Deshaun Watson. He didn’t give him $230 million guaranteed. He didn’t spend four years waiting for the quarterback who thrived in Houston to finally arrive in Cleveland.

Monken didn’t cause this mess. Nevertheless, it’s his responsibility now.

The moment Monken named Watson his starting quarterback, fans had evidence to start turning on the new coach. The shortest honeymoon period in Browns history is officially over.

To be fair, he didn’t have any great alternatives. The Browns have one of the worst quarterback rooms in the league this year. Monken knew when he took the job the Browns had a quarterback deficiency. He also knew he was 60 and unlikely to get any other head coaching opportunities. It was the Browns’ construction site or remain John Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator into retirement. So he grabbed an ax and a hose and ran into the Cleveland fire.

Monken naming Watson the starter tells you exactly what the Browns really think of Shedeur Sanders and where he’s at in his development, particularly after Watson’s disastrous news conference over the weekend. He tried cleaning up those comments Monday, but it’s too late. Watson and Browns fans are stuck with each other for the next four months.

The Browns had every opportunity to make Watson less relevant by hiding him on the bench. Instead, 48 hours after he reminded everyone why his relationship with Cleveland is irreparably broken, they made him the face of the organization again.

I believe this was Monken’s decision to make alone. When former coach Kevin Stefanski had to choose a backup to Dillon Gabriel midway through last season, Stefanski began telling members of the organization early in the week that he was going to promote Bailey Zappe from the practice squad and leave Sanders as third string because Sanders was struggling with the playbook.

Just a couple of days later, however, Sanders was announced as Gabriel’s backup. Sanders eventually became the starter when Gabriel suffered a concussion. I had long assumed that Stefanski was forced to promote Sanders into the backup role. However, enough people have told me in the months since that it was solely the head coach’s choice, so I have to believe it.

Therefore, I have to believe it in this instance as well.

I don’t believe Monken was pressured to start Watson by the front office or ownership, although it has been clear for months that the team’s preference was for Watson to start.

I believe Monken truly thinks Watson gives the Browns the best chance to win based on his experience, which should be mildly terrifying to anyone who remembers how Watson played the last time he was healthy. He ranked dead last among qualified quarterbacks in QBR and was throwing the ball 7 yards out of bounds in the season opener against Dallas. The Browns were 1-6 with Watson, who was sacked 33 times in seven games in part because he wasn’t even getting to the proper depth on dropbacks. Watson consistently kept lining up in places the quarterback wasn’t supposed to be.

That’s the guy Monken feels gives him the best chance to win, which is an indictment of the quarterback room the Browns have assembled for this season. They made clear winning wasn’t the priority when they traded Myles Garrett (a decision I endorsed). They ensured winning can’t happen consistently this year when they forced Monken to choose between Watson and Sanders.

It’s an awful place for a first-year coach to begin. Most new coaches get at least a few months to sell hope before reality interferes. They get a new quarterback, a premium draft pick or some other shiny object to convince fans something different is coming.

Monken gets Watson.

He gets a quarterback Browns fans have already rejected and an organization that has spent four years failing miserably at propping him up as some solution. There’s nothing Monken can say that will change that relationship. Only Watson can change it now, and the evidence suggests that’s an enormous ask.

That leaves Monken in the unusual position of beginning his tenure by asking fans to trust his judgment on the one player they have the least interest in accepting.

Maybe that’s the cruelest part of the job he accepted.

Before Monken ever coaches a regular-season game for the Browns, his first significant decision requires everyone to believe he sees something in Watson they haven’t seen in four years.

He arrived as the new coach cleaning up somebody else’s mess. Fans could blame Berry for the Watson trade, Stefanski for not being able to make it work and ownership for driving the whole thing. Monken had no scars from all of it.

Naming Watson the starter changes the equation. Monken has voluntarily attached himself to the most unpopular player in Cleveland and one of the most toxic decisions in franchise history — and he announced it 48 hours after a disastrous postgame news conference involving Watson. That comes with consequences.

If Watson plays well, Monken deserves the credit for getting quality play out of him and seeing something few others believed was still there. If Watson plays poorly, however, the anger won’t be directed solely at the quarterback anymore. Every week Monken continues to start him becomes another decision Monken has to defend.

That’s how quickly equity disappears in this league. New coaches inherit patience. Their decisions determine how long they keep it.

Watson was Berry’s gamble. He was Stefanski’s burden.

Until now.

Watson is Monken’s quarterback now. Whatever happens next belongs to him.