Jerry Jeudy debunks viral video that made it look like he wanted Deshaun Watson to start for Browns

Cleveland Browns wideout Jerry Jeudy knows better than to publicly take sides when there’s a position battle on the line. But after a viral video appeared to show Jeudy come out in support of Deshaun Watson for the Browns’ starting job, the receiver had to make sure people knew that video was fake.

Jeudy addressed the situation Wednesday, explaining the video was cleverly edited to make it look like Jeudy answered a question on the quarterback competition by throwing four fingers up. Watson wears No. 4 on his jersey.

But that wasn’t the case. The clip of Jeudy throwing up four fingers happened in another part of the interview, after he showed his daughter on the stream. When asked his daughter’s age, Jeudy threw up four fingers. But the fake, viral video was cut to make it look like Jeudy threw up four fingers in response to a quarterback about the Browns’ starting quarterback.

Jeudy, who has been with the Browns since 2024, said he made a point to seek out Watson and Shedeur Sanders and explain to them that the video making the rounds was edited to make it look like he took a side.

Jeudy later added that he’s been around quarterback competitions a lot over his career, and is smart enough to not weigh in on a question like that, per ESPN.

"I've been in the league for seven years -- at least five or six of the years, it's all been a quarterback competition within those years," Jeudy said Wednesday. "I think I'm mature enough and wise enough to not answer questions like that. For everyone to believe that I would answer something like that on social media is kind of wild, but you got to understand this [is] where we're in and understand how everybody's viewing the quarterback competition in this room.

Sanders vs. Watson is arguably the biggest quarterback battle among all NFL teams this training. The Atlanta Falcons — which are allowing Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix to compete for the starting spot — own the other most intriguing quarterback battle.

Watson may be the more accomplished veteran, but his performance has lagged and injuries have ruined his time with the Browns. He missed all of 2025 while recovering from a torn Achilles.

That injury allowed Sanders to step into the starting role for the Browns down the stretch last season. While he made the Pro Bowl, his performance was spotty at best. Sanders tossed seven touchdowns against 10 interceptions in eight games.

The winner of that battle will throw to a growing group of exciting pass catchers. Jeudy has shown Pro Bowl upside in the past, tight end Harold Fannin emerged as a weapon as a rookie and the team selected wideout KC Conception and Denzel Boston early in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Those additions could give the Browns a surprisingly solid offensive core moving forward, but the team won’t know that unless its quarterback can execute the offense. It will be on Browns’ coaches to figure out which of Sanders or Watson is best equipped to get the ball in the hands of the team’s playmakers.