Shedeur Sanders finished last season as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, despite his relative struggles as a rookie. It would seem as though he’s currently slated to maintain his role, but one analyst isn’t convinced. He suggested holding a competition for the job during the offseason.
Shedeur Sanders Could Face Competition for His Role as a Starter During Browns Offseason
Sanders was one of two quarterbacks, along with Dillon Gabriel, that the Browns selected in the NFL Draft last year. Gabriel was given the first opportunity of the two of them to be a starter, but he eventually lost his job to the other rookie.
It would seem clear that Sanders remains ahead of him on the depth chart, considering the way last season played out, but Browns analyst Ken Carman had other ideas about how they should approach the role. He wants a competition, including one of the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks.
“Shedeur Sanders has done nothing to tell me that he should be a bonafide QB1 going into next year. If they don’t make any moves, and it’s still this quarterback room, Deshaun Watson and he should have a competition to see who’s the actual quarterback going into next year,” stated Carman.
Deshaun Watson signed a record-breaking contract with the Browns, paying him $230 million in fully guaranteed money across five seasons.
He is currently entering the final year of that deal, and Carman believes he should get another chance to prove that he can still be a valuable starting quarterback, or at the very least, a serviceable one and a potential upgrade for them next year.
The veteran was once one of the best players at his position during his time with the Houston Texans. He finished among the top 12 quarterbacks in PFSN’s Impact Rankings in four consecutive seasons and made it to the playoffs in two of them.
His clear upside on the football field was the main reason the Browns gave him a massive contract, but he has failed to live up to it. Watson has made just 19 starts across four years in Cleveland, posting a 9-10 record with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
While this is surely far from what they thought they were getting when they acquired him, a case can be made that he may still be the best quarterback on their roster. Sanders went 3-4 with 7 passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his rookie year.
