Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is gearing up for the third start of his NFL career.
The Browns (3-9) are facing off against No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans (1-11) in Week 14. This is a huge opportunity for Sanders to prove himself worthy of the QB1 job, as the Titans are widely regarded as the worst team in the league.
If Sanders underperforms, it could put his place in the depth chart at risk because of a veteran quarterback re-entering the picture.
Deshaun Watson Could Start for the Browns
On Wednesday, the Browns opened the 21-day practice window for signal caller Deshaun Watson. He has not played since October 2024, when he ruptured his Achilles.
However, opening his practice window means Watson is one step closer to being activated to the 53-man roster. When Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked about his progression, he said, “His focus, my focus, is obviously getting him back to playing football, practicing football, which he hasn’t done in over a year,” Stefanski said. “So, it’s a good next step for him.”
Watson is earning a ridiculous amount of money from the Browns. He signed a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract in March 2022, which he is in the fourth season of. Despite this, Watson has appeared in just 19 games for Cleveland.
This, along with the possibility of Sanders continuing to perform at a mediocre level, could tempt the Browns to give Watson another shot at being the starter.
Some fans forget Watson was once the face of the franchise for the Houston Texans. In his best season (2020), he recorded 4,823 passing yards for 33 passing touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
It certainly makes more sense for the Browns to turn to Watson before going back to their other rookie, Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel is the No. 41-ranked QB in PFSN’s metrics with an impact score of 51.4.
Stefanski shared seeing Watson on the field before season’s end isn’t the focus, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, so it’s tough to say if the three-time Pro Bowler will get another shot in Cleveland.
