It’s not certain how the starting quarterback position will play out for the Cleveland Browns this summer. Deshaun Watson seemed to have the upper hand over Shedeur Sanders throughout the spring, and he may still ultimately trot out as the starter in Week 1.
Watson is the veteran in this scenario, and Cleveland may still want to salvage something out of him. The tide could be turning in the competition, though, and there is a growing notion that Sanders could end up winning the job.
Despite the overall numbers not popping out, Sanders had some splash moments in wins over the Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cincinnati Bengals last season. He's got a ways to go with establishing consistency, but he demonstrated some playmaking chops as a rookie.
To that point, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report forecasted Sanders winning the starting job as one of his bold predictions for 2026 NFL training camp. Here was part of Gagnon's sentiment on Sanders:
"Watson, who is still trying to revive his career in Cleveland, reportedly lacked consistency during organized team activities, even as he looked healthy. Meanwhile, head coach Todd Monken and the Browns staff have publicly praised Sanders for his progress this offseason.
It's just going to be too hard for Watson to suddenly revive his career after so much time off the pedestal, and Sanders has the tools to become something awesome in this league. I'm not convinced he'll put it all together, but I believe he'll make it impossible this summer for the Browns to turn away from his high ceiling."
Along those same lines, Wynston Wilcox of FanSided also highlighted how Sanders is reportedly closing the gap on Watson, arguing that Sanders would be the sensible choice for Cleveland to go with in Week 1:
"I think Sanders is the better option to start. Long story short, you have to see what the younger player can offer this team during a season in which you're not planning on competing anyway. There's nothing Watson can do that will benefit Cleveland in any way moving forward. They'd be wise to give Sanders the keys and hope he doesn't total the car. When you look at the makeup of this offense in particular, every key player is a rookie or on their rookie contract.
Watson doesn't fit that mold. All he should be to the Browns is a veteran presence and backup option if they need one. The fact that Sanders is getting this many first-team reps is a good sign. It always felt like it was his job to lose, and that should (prove) true through camp."
Training camp could validate the Browns' changing quarterback narrative
As Gagnon mentioned, the Browns will want to see if Watson still has something in the tank, given the compensation element. Watson is the player with much more experience as well, and he’s done what was needed to get back healthy.
Those things aside, Sanders winning the job in training camp wouldn’t be a shock. Gagnon alluded to how Watson didn't light it up in OTAs, and when he's actually been available for Cleveland, he hasn't been close to the game-changer the Browns thought they were landing from the Houston Texans via their blockbuster 2022 trade.
Watson has had a 61.2 percent completion rate, with a 19-to-12 touchdown to interception ratio and an 80.7 quarterback rating. He's had 177.1 passing yards per game in his 19 starts with Cleveland, which is a far cry from his 269.2 passing yards per outing with Houston in 54 games. It hasn't all been his fault, but for a veteran, Watson hasn't handled pressure well, either.
Granted, Sanders didn’t break any rookie records, and he has to clean up some things. But Cleveland has to know what it has in the 24-year-old. Neither his 56.6 percent completion rate nor his 7-to-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio was spectacular, and Sanders has to make continued strides in getting the ball out on time to avoid taking sacks and unnecessary hits.
Even with those criticisms being valid, as the games progressed, there were some positive signs from Sanders in those areas, and there were some big plays down the field. With a revamped offensive line and Cleveland addressing the wide receiver position in the 2026 draft, it would be a no-brainer for Sanders to eventually get the keys from Monken.
Now, Sanders has to stay on schedule and establish competency in training camp. He’ll need to show positive strides in the preseason games as well. The encouraging signs have to be on display from Sanders in order for him to be the starting QB.
Still, Watson could very well begin the season as the starting QB for Cleveland, and could play for at least a large chunk of the season.
It would still appear as if he's on borrowed time as far as being a legitimate playing option for the Browns. All the injury and off-field issues he's had during his time with Cleveland have to factor into the equation. Watson just hasn't been close to what Cleveland could have been hoping for since moving mountains to trade for him and give him a fully-guaranteed, $230 million contract.
There are question marks involved with both Sanders and Watson, but as Wilcox stressed, Cleveland has to see what it potentially has in Sanders, who has a higher ceiling than Watson at this point. And while Sanders is a young prospect that has areas he has to iron out, he has shown promise and has to receive his share of meaningful reps in 2026, especially with a loaded 2027 quarterback class to come.
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