Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are battling for the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback job under first-year head coach Todd Monken. While a lot can happen between now and the start of the regular season, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Watson is leading the competition.
“The Browns have not made any sort of firm determination yet, but they like Watson’s experience,” Fowler said during a recent segment of NFL on ESPN.
Deshaun Watson Reportedly Leads Shedeur Sanders In Browns Quarterback Competition
This report comes as something of a surprise, as Deshaun Watson hasn’t exactly set the world on fire with the Cleveland Browns. While he looked like a perennial top-10 quarterback during his time with the Houston Texans, Watson has been at or near the bottom of every meaningful metric ever since his controversial arrival in Ohio. Signed to perhaps the worst contract in NFL history following one of the most lopsided trades ever, the quarterback has made just 19 starts over the past four years, going 9-10 while completing 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while adding 465 rushing yards, three scores, and 11 fumbles on the ground.
Now entering his age-31 season after missing the entire 2025 campaign while recovering from an Achilles injury, nobody believes Deshaun Watson can be a franchise quarterback at this stage in his career. Owner Jimmy Haslam publicly said the Watson trade was a mistake, but the team simply cannot afford to cut him. The former Texan may have experience, but he hasn’t played well in over half a decade.
The Lesser Alternative
Of course, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders didn’t play particularly well during his extended run as the starter. While the team went a respectable 3-4 in his starts, the fifth-round rookie did not play well at all. In total, Sanders completed just 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while finishing with the worst PFF grade of any qualified quarterback.
While he could take the fabled Year 2 leap, Sanders has a long way to go before he’s anything close to a franchise quarterback. Chances are, Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders will both start games next year, but it would be a surprise if either quarterback is under center in 2027.
