Watson plays down revenge narrative as Mayfield's Bucs host struggling Browns in Week 2
Four years after Cleveland swapped Baker Mayfield for Deshaun Watson, the two quarterbacks meet Sunday in Tampa — and the numbers tell a stark story of who won that trade.
When the Cleveland Browns traded for Deshaun Watson in the 2022 offseason and handed him a five-year, $230 million contract, Baker Mayfield's time in Cleveland was over. On Sunday, the two quarterbacks will share a field again — this time as opponents, with Mayfield's Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting Watson's Browns at Raymond James Stadium at 1 p.m. ET.
Both teams arrive at 0-1. Cleveland was beaten 34-10 by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. Tampa Bay also dropped its opener. The Buccaneers are 8.5-point home favorites, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Watson, asked Wednesday about the matchup with his former Cleveland counterpart, redirected attention to the opposing defense rather than the storyline surrounding it.
I think that's a defensive player question. My main focus is trying to figure out what their defense is doing so we can find ways to be successful and get points. So as far as that, I respect Baker and everything he did ever since college. We've been playing against each other since college. He's a hell of a player, hell of a quarterback, and they paid him for a reason.— Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns quarterback
Watson also pushed back on the idea that he needs a statement game before Cleveland's home opener in Week 3.
I think personally, I think all that is for the media. I mean, I think the media has this expectation that I'm supposed to throw for 400 yards and five touchdowns every week, so until that happens, I guess it's gonna be the same situation. So again, my job is to make sure I'm operating well so we can try to get a win and keep moving forward from that.— Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns quarterback
The numbers behind Watson's tenure in Cleveland make the pressure understandable. In 20 starts as a Brown, he has thrown for 20 touchdowns and averaged 178.5 passing yards per game, according to Bleacher Report. Injuries and ineffectiveness have defined his time there.
Mayfield's trajectory has gone the other direction. Since signing with Tampa Bay as a free agent in March 2023, he has thrown for 95 touchdowns, made two Pro Bowls, and reached the postseason twice. This offseason he signed a three-year extension worth $165 million, according to Heavy.
The game carries a secondary subplot: Cleveland head coach Todd Monken served as Mayfield's offensive coordinator in 2019, his second season with the Browns. Mayfield was measured in his assessment of that reunion.
My year with Todd wasn't the best year for the Browns in 2019. We were kinda all over the place. Todd's obviously an aggressive play-caller, wants to spread the ball out. Obviously known him for years, so we'll see what happens.— Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback
Monken, who was not part of the Browns organization when it made the Watson trade, offered a detailed endorsement of the quarterback he once coached.
He's highly intelligent. He wants the game plan early so he can look at it at home, so he comes in the building prepared. On the field he's just highly, highly competitive. He holds himself to a high standard, and he holds others to a high standard, which is everything you're looking for in a player — I guess just in a human being in general.— Todd Monken, Cleveland Browns head coach
Mayfield has been open about his frustration with how Cleveland handled his departure. According to Heavy, he has directed pointed comments at former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski — now with the Atlanta Falcons, a fellow NFC South team — about facing him twice a season going forward. His comments about Monken were notably more measured.
Monken named Watson the starter for Weeks 1 and 2 of the 2026 season, per Heavy. Whether that holds beyond Sunday in Tampa may depend on what happens at Raymond James Stadium.
Why it matters — The Watson-Mayfield reunion puts a spotlight on one of the most consequential — and lopsided — quarterback decisions in recent NFL history, with Sunday's result adding another chapter to a story Cleveland has struggled to escape.
Reported by cbssports.com, bleacherreport.com, heavy.com
