The Cleveland Browns officially held their first voluntary OTA workout for the 2026 season on Tuesday, and the wild takes on the team’s ongoing quarterback battle between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson are sure to follow.
Based on the rumors stemming from the Browns’ veteran minicamp ahead of the NFL Draft in April, fans are already bracing themselves for the worst-case scenario. Watson, likely thanks to his experience and $46 million salary this year, is widely expected to enter this next phase of the offseason program with an edge over Sanders.
None of that is based on anything tangible on the field, though, unless new head coach Todd Monken is seriously grading his quarterbacks on how they look in shells and shorts. The best player in the competition shouldn’t seriously emerge until training camp, when the team begins to mix in fully-padded practices and starts preparing for preseason games. No matter how the depth chart looks entering June, it’s hard to believe that a veteran coach like Monken would weigh a quarterback’s performances in May and August without grading on a curve.
But as it stands, ESPN insider Peter Schrager reads the situation similarly to Browns fans. While doubling down on the notion that the Browns should be mindful of not being “too good” in 2026, due to the wealth of talent in next year’s draft class, he provided a new update on Watson during Tuesday morning’s episode of Get Up that hits like sour milk.
“They’re going to give Deshaun Watson every chance to win that job,” Schrager said. “He’s being paid that way and he very well may win that job. The truth of the matter is, if you’re a Browns fan, you don’t want to be too good this year, because next year is a really rich quarterback draft and some of that Watson money can be washed away a bit. So he’s going to give it his all, and Shedeur (Sanders) can fight, but I think it might be Watson’s job to lose.”
The Browns’ quarterback competition may not be as open as fans hoped
In terms of national reporters, Schrager is one who deserves fans’ attention. His takes are informed. Schrager only published two 2026 mock drafts, for example, and in the first he had the Browns selecting Spencer Fano at No. 6 and KC Concepcion at No. 24. In his second mock, he had the Browns selecting Fano at No. 6 and Denzel Boston at No. 24. Cleveland wound up with all three players during the main event.
From a 10,000-foot view, it does make some sense for the team to talk up Watson through the media, as the coaching staff is going to want to see Sanders rise up and take the job from the veteran who’s literally making over 40 times his salary.
Browns fans should be bracing for a depth chart order of Watson, Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Taylen Green when the team wraps up OTAs and breaks ahead of training camp. The first-team reps may be divided up accordingly in late July, but the actual best man for the job shouldn't be decided until August. The Browns aren’t just going to trot Watson back out there, off two major Achilles surgeries, because they’re paying him a top-10 salary at the position. If Sanders is clearly the better player and proves it on the field, he should get the nod Week 1.
It may be Watson’s job to lose right now, but Browns fans just have to trust the process. Quarterback competitions aren’t decided during voluntary workouts. If Monken’s making any serious conclusions during partially-padded practices without Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward on the other side of the field, the Browns could have way more serious issues than their quarterback room this year.
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