Deshaun Watson made his first appearance since 2024, starting Saturday’s pre-season game against the Chicago Bears.Watson missed the whole of 2025 recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, and finds himself locked in a QB battle with Shedeur Sanders.Watson returned to an NFL field for the first time since 2024GettyWatson played the entire first half and went 11-of-15 for 126 yards. He also ran three times including a QB sneak.Overall, it was a solid performance, but there was one moment on the sidelines which has fans concerned.After a failed drive, the broadcast captured Watson walking back to the sidelines, where he was met by new head coach Todd Monken.Monken was clearly trying to speak to his quarterback, but Watson didn’t stop and walked straight past him.NFL Weekly Newsletter - SIGN UP!talkSPORT is your home for NFL in the UK as we launch our biggest year of coverage yet!2026 promises to be an epic year for NFL on talkSPORT – and we want you to join us for the ride.SIGN UP HERE!This season will be our biggest ever with live commentary of 90+ games, including behind-the-scenes access to international games and all three London fixtures, plus bumper coverage of Super Bowl 61 at SoFi Stadium.Exclusive interviews, hard-hitting opinion, latest front-office drama and top breaking news – all delivered straight to your inbox each week.“Watson is uncoachable, and arrogant, wow,” one fan commented.“He has done this to [Kevin] Stefanski too, I am laughing at the hypocrites who love him after this performance and despised him yesterday,” a second added.“That’s very disrespectful, needs to be benched for that,” a third said.Monken on the other hand clearly wasn’t concerned. He acknowledged Watson’s obvious rust, but sang his praises regardless.“It was awesome, it was so cool to watch him play. I get all of the frustration — fans, himself,” Monken said.“But for him to come back and work as he did is an unbelievable credit to him. And then to go out there — he was having fun today and that is so cool. Watson threw for 126 yards and led two scoring drives, the only points for Cleveland in the 34-10 lossGettyMonken clearly wasn’t bothered with Watson’s sideline snubGettyView Tweet: https://t.co/B7qnewDgS1“I thought he really functioned at a high level. We don’t want to be taking timeouts, we sure as heck can’t take delay of games. “But it was fun watching him play and watching us put the next step forward and see where we are at.”Watson’s performance is big blow for Shedeur SandersIt’s been the story of the offseason thus far, and Watsons performance will raise concerns in Shedeur’s camp.Sanders had a mixed performance throughout his time on the field against Chicago. He opened the second half with a 24-yard pass to Gage Larvadain, then proceeded to fumble the next snap.His day then took a worse turn when he lofted an interception early in the fourth quarter.Sanders didn’t fare as well as Watson didGetty“Shedeur was under pressure and seemed to have his body angled for a deep ball when he needed to go underneath,” Sports Illustrated’s Steve Kubitza said“It was an ugly interception and a reminder of his inexperience.Sanders is set to start against the Buffalo Bills and the second-year quarterback will have a prime opportunity to respond.If Watson continues to demonstrate better control under center, Monken and the Browns coaching staff may have an easy decision when naming their Week 1 starter.