The Cleveland Browns put together an exciting 2026 draft class, and the first three selections of the group were an offensive tackle and two wide receivers. While those three players will be counted on as rookies, they were all immediately dropped into a common but awkward experience: a quarterback battle.
Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson are currently battling it out to be the Browns' starting quarterback, so everyone else on the team has to play the delicate game of answering questions about both, without appearing to lean in one direction or the other. The rookies have done a great job walking that tightrope, but some recent comments from one of the draft picks may have highlighted who should be Cleveland’s starter, even if unintentional.
Those comments came from wide receiver Denzel Boston, a second-round pick for the Browns this year. The wideout spoke with FOX Sports reporter Eric Williams during the NFLPA Rookie Premiere, and, of course, he was asked about Watson and Sanders.
Boston was complimentary of both and tried his best to straddle the fence, but his statements served as a win for one of the quarterbacks, even if that wasn’t his goal. When speaking about Sanders, Boston explained how the young QB brings a lot of energy, and said it’s clear in the way Sanders works around the facility that he’s striving to be better every day.
Denzel Boston shows love to Shedeur Sanders with comments
The receiver even talked about how Sanders, in just his second year, is helping others. Boston told a story about how the young quarterback communicated with him through a drill, helping them get on the same page on the field.
When it was time to talk about Watson, Boston did say, “There’s no doubts there at all about what Deshaun can do,” before admitting that the veteran quarterback has been in a rough patch since his great years in Houston. The receiver went on to say there’s light at the end of Watson’s tunnel, before ultimately expressing his belief in all four of the quarterbacks on Cleveland’s roster.
It’s important to note that these comments were made before the start of the Browns' OTAs, and it’s also unfair to put Boston in this position a month into his career. However, what the young receiver said is a fair description of the two quarterbacks in this battle.
Sanders is a young quarterback who’s getting better every day, with a magnetic energy and ability to galvanize a team. Watson is an older quarterback who hasn’t played good football in years, but is looking for a miracle. Just looking at those descriptions of the two, it’s clear Sanders should be the starter in Cleveland.
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