Why Dan Orlovsky feels ‘awful’ for Browns fans after Deshaun Watson named starting QB over Shedeur Sanders

The Cleveland Browns ' decision to name Deshaun Watson their Week 1 starting quarterback over rookie Shedeur Sanders has sparked a wave of criticism across the NFL . One of the most vocal critics was Dan Orlovsky , who admitted he feels "awful" for Browns fans after the unexpected announcement.

Watson earned the starting job despite a forgettable performance against the Buffalo Bills ' backups, where he was booed by his own fans after completing just 5 of 12 passes for 35 yards with one interception.

The decision adds another chapter to Cleveland's never-ending quarterback saga. Since the 1999 NFL Draft, the Browns have started more quarterbacks than any other franchise in the league.

Sanders' demotion came as a surprise to many. The rookie had won over a large portion of the fanbase and was widely viewed as the team's QB1 following a strong preseason, leaving fans, former players and analysts stunned by the Browns' choice.

Dan Orlovsky can't understand the decision

Speaking on First Take , Orlovsky strongly questioned Cleveland's decision, saying he sees no football reason to keep Sanders on the bench.

"I am shocked," Orlovsky said. "I feel awful for the fans of the Cleveland Browns. I have no idea how you could witness what you witnessed in that press conference and it not being a part of your evaluation in the decision.

"I think the world of Todd Monken , I think he's a great coach. I think the world of Andrew Berry, I think he's put together really good football teams. I have no idea how they could make this decision.

"If this was strictly a football decision 'fifty-fifty,' start the guy you want. Last week I thought in preseason Week 1 Deshaun played better than Shedeur, Week 2 wasn't even close. Shedeur was remarkably better than Deshaun.

"Performance this Saturday from Deshaun was not good, it was very poor. To name him the starting quarterback less than 48 hours out of it, I truly, truly feel awful for that fanbase," he concluded.

The numbers also fuel the debate. Since arriving in Cleveland in 2022, Watson has played just 19 games, completing 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards, with 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and an 80.7 passer rating.

Sanders, meanwhile, has been the more impressive quarterback this preseason. Against Buffalo, he completed 9 of 11 passes (81.8%) for 74 yards, one touchdown and one interception, posting an 87.1 passer rating . He also added two rushing yards on one carry and was sacked once with no loss, strengthening the argument that he deserved to open the season as Cleveland's starter.