The first big shift in the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition happened over the weekend, with head coach Todd Monken first confirming to reporters that Shedeur Sanders would get the “majority” of first-team reps for what was scheduled to be a two-hour practice in pads, and then doing the complete opposite.
Watson was up first, and that reportedly didn’t change throughout Saturday’s workout. Even more telling, third-stringer Dillon Gabriel continued to mix in with the second unit, limiting Sanders’ reps even more.
Browns fans reacted accordingly. And while it’s too soon to say that the NFL’s most polarizing position battle of the 2026 offseason has been decided, Watson’s recent string of strong performances, coupled with back-to-back days with the first unit, is impossible to ignore. Sanders has made things interesting, but Watson’s experience seems to be winning out in what Monken declared an open competition back at the start of the spring program.
The latest buzz around Watson potentially being named the Week 1 starter has come with a common national reaction that Browns fans can’t stand: Don’t waste your energy on Watson vs. Sanders. It’s all about next year and the 2027 draft.
My advice: Stop sweating the QB competition. It's about next year's draft and the Browns finding their guy.
— Tom Withers (@twithersCLE) August 9, 2026
“Why can’t it ever be about trying to maximize your potential now and winning now. “Next years draft” has been the word on the streets for like 6 years now,” one Browns fan commented on a tweet from longtime Cleveland sportswriter Tom Withers.
“I think we’ve been saying that as Browns fans since like 2002,” wrote another. “Maybe we’ll start winning when it’s about today and being the best we can be and not worrying about trying to manipulate the future.”
The Cleveland Browns have to rid themselves of the NFL’s biggest poison: ‘Playing for next year’
Is there a reason for Browns fans to look forward to the 2027 draft? Absolutely. It’s already projected to be one of the most talent-rich classes in years, and that goes beyond a stacked quarterback position that could be headlined by Arch Manning and Dante Moore.
But the draft, in a lot of ways, annually poisons the perception of each NFL season. There are really only two buckets. You’re either a contender, or you should be tanking for the best draft slot possible. The middle ground? Let’s just call that the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers routinely get mocked for staying locked in NFL purgatory, too good to ever sniff a top-10 draft pick, but never good enough to contend for playoff wins. But teams like the Browns, Jets, Giants, and Cardinals would do anything to finally climb out of the NFL’s proverbial basement and string together multiple winning seasons. The Steelers haven't finished below .500 in a season since 2003.
The reality is that building a winning culture trumps tanking 100 times out of 100. There’s a reason the same group of franchises seem to rotate inside the top-three picks every year. Losing is a stain that even years of premium draft selections struggle to wash off.
And it’s why the Browns’ refusal to label 2026 as a gap year means everything. The Browns had one foot in the tank on June 1, when they traded their most impactful singular player, Myles Garrett, for the younger Jared Verse and picks. But they’ve since given fans a reason to buy in, from Monken running a physical and competitive camp, to the team’s recent pair of contract extensions for veterans Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit.
Fans should absolutely be hanging on every quarterback update, win, and loss this season. If the Browns turn one of the easiest overall schedules into another four- or five-win season, no one should be celebrating the premium draft slot that would follow in 2027. Developing young talent and learning how to win should be the only objective here. The Browns may not be Super Bowl contenders, but that doesn't mean this season can't be a failure.
If it’s all about winning, then the best quarterback has to play. Watson wouldn’t be the most exciting choice for obvious reasons, but Browns fans should be more excited to see their team attempt to put its best 11 on the field, rather than catering to a played-out narrative that’s been poisoning the NFL and its fans for over a decade.
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