Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is currently engaged in one of the most intriguing QB1 battles in the league with veteran Deshaun Watson.
After a rocky rookie season in Cleveland, where he was initially buried in the depth chart, Sanders finished the season as the Browns’ undisputed starter under center.
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During Friday’s segment of “The Rich Eisen Show,” Browns announcer Andrew Siciliano predicted that Sanders and Watson would share playing time, but that the former Colorado quarterback would start more games next season.
“I’m gonna say because one guy is younger and there’s certainly an eye on the future, I think they both do start games this year. I will say Shedeur Sanders will start more games this coming season,” Siciliano said. “It is a difficult schedule to start the year; the Browns have five games this year against teams that made the playoffs a year ago.
“If you had to get an answer from me right now, it would be the man who wears No. 2, his college number.”
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Sanders had to fight for his place in the Browns’ quarterback room after Joe Flacco started last season as the undisputed QB1, with the polarizing Dillon Gabriel as his backup. Sanders had to bide his time until Gabriel went down injured and the former Buffaloes star secured a stranglehold on the starting spot for the rest of the season.
On the other hand, Watson missed the entire 2025 season while recuperating from a re-ruptured Achilles tendon that had ended his 2024 season. He is in the final year of a mammoth five-year, $230 million contract signed after being traded from the Houston Texans in 2022.
After improved performances during the OTAs and mandatory minicamp, Browns coach Todd Monken lavished praise on Sanders’ growth over the last few months.
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“I think he’s being more decisive,” Monken said. “Now, it’s easy to say we’re not in pads. It just feels like he’s making quicker decisions. The ball’s coming out of his hands, which he’s gonna have to do.
“Not that he doesn’t have playmaking ability, because he does, but his ability to process quicker and get the ball out of his hands and eliminate lost yardage plays is going to be huge for us to be able to stack plays and score, which is ultimately the number one thing here.”
Sanders registered 1,400 passing yards on 56.6% completion, resulting in 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while adding 169 rushing yards and one score for the Browns last season, earning a PFSN QB Impact score of 56.7.
