The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition may not have been as open as it appeared.
ESPN NFL analyst Courtney Cronin questioned the team’s handling of the battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, arguing that Cleveland had already decided on its starter before the preseason was over.
Analyst Questions Browns’ Deshaun Watson as QB1 Decision
Watson had a solid outing against the Chicago Bears, completing 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards. His performance against the Buffalo Bills, however, was a different story.
Entering the second half, Watson completed just 5 of 12 passes for 36 yards and an interception in Cleveland’s 31-7 loss. He was also met by loud boos from the home crowd and later described the reaction as “disrespectful” and “personal.”
Sanders, meanwhile, showed encouraging signs. After completing 6 of 11 passes for 79 yards and an interception against Chicago, he went 9 of 11 for 74 yards, a touchdown, and an interception against Buffalo.
While Sanders finished second-to-last on PFN’s QB Impact Metrics, many analysts and fans were impressed with the former Colorado star’s growth heading into year 2.
Despite the contrasting performances in the preseason games, Todd Monken ultimately named Watson the Week 1 starter.
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Cronin believes the decision should not have come as a surprise. “That’s the first thing. The clues along the way that Todd Monken was dropping should have led you to believe that this was going to be the outcome in which he came to yesterday. You know the reason that Shedeur Sanders was starting against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday? Fairness,” Cronin said.
The clues Todd Monken was dropping should have led you to believe that Deshaun Watson would be the Cleveland Browns’ QB1.@CourtneyRCronin | @ESPNCleveland https://t.co/YEibP0wz5X pic.twitter.com/u4ZID1bSRf
— UNSPORTSMANLIKE (@UnSportsESPN) August 25, 2026
Cronin argued that if the competition had truly been as close as reported, Sanders would have received a greater opportunity to work with the first-team offense from the beginning of training camp.
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Instead, Cronin believes the Browns had already settled on Watson before his poor preseason outings and controversial comments about the fans.
“But because they had really already made up their mind long before the press conference, long before the bad play that we saw in two preseason games from Deshaun, long before Deshaun was questioning whether he would ever be able to be the same player he was when he was a great quarterback 2018 and 2020, they already knew. It’s a slap in the face to anybody who tries to put logic on a situation that seems like it’s a very easy conclusion,” Cronin said.
The decision now leaves Watson as Cleveland’s starter heading into Week 1, while Sanders will begin the season as the backup.
With Watson’s contract and history with the organization adding another layer to the situation, the quarterback decision is unlikely to disappear from the spotlight anytime soon.
