Sportsnaut
Every single offseason there always seems to be a battle for the Cleveland Browns quarterback job. The competition for the starting job seems more obvious than it was last season. The debate is whether or not the starter should be Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders. Watson is entering the final year of his contract. Sanders was a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he might only have one more chance to prove himself at the NFL level.
There are many Browns fans who would rather see Sanders win the job over Watson. If Watson were to win the starting job over him, there is no question that Sanders may not see the field for Cleveland again. There have been various rumors floating around that Watson could win the starting job over Sanders. Head coach Todd Monken would rather have a starting quarterback named when training camp begins. However, that isn’t going to be the case.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN was on NFL Live on ESPN on Thursday. To no surprise, one of the biggest topics is about the Browns starting quarterback job. Fowler provided the latest update and said, “Deshaun Watson went into the spring as the clear favorite, and then Shedeur Sanders has bridged the gap at least somewhat.” Since Sanders has closed the gap on Watson in this battle, there is no doubt that this decision is not going to be easy for Monken.
Sanders is only 24 years old. Last season with the Browns, he completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Sanders also rushed for 169 yards on 21 carries and one touchdown, along with averaging 8.0 yards per carry. He appeared in eight games for the Browns. Sanders did not see game action until after Thanksgiving when Gabrel got injured in a game against the Baltimore Ravens. If he somehow beats Watson, the Browns need to make him the starter for all 17 games for the 2026 NFL season. If not, then it will be interesting to see how Sanders will be able to handle the backup quarterback role this time around.
Watson did not play at all last season, and he has not played since the 2024 NFL season. Watson is already 30 years old. In seven games during that season, he completed 63.4% of his passes for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. Watson also rushed for 148 yards on 31 carries and one touchdown, along with averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
Not only will there be a quarterback battle between Sanders and Watson for the starting job, but there will also be a battle for the third quarterback spot on the roster. Either Dillon Gabriel or rookie Taylen Green will be the third quarterback on the roster. There will be a lot of decisions that Monken and general manager Andrew Berry will have to make with...
