The Cleveland Browns remain one of the most talked-about teams this offseason due to their polarizing quarterback competition. Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders competed for the QB1 job, and despite many Cleveland fans wanting to give it to Sanders, Browns head coach Todd Monken recently announced Watson won and will start Week 1. Despite Watson winning the starting job, much of the discussion still centers on Sanders.
As Deion Sanders’ son, Shedeur immediately has plenty of eyes on him. Some want to see Sanders succeed, while others want to see him fail, but either way, plenty of people will follow the Browns to see what happens.
Browns Media Continues to Talk About Shedeur
While Sanders will likely bring the most eyes and ears to Browns media, they need to turn their attention to the start of the season.
Browns analyst Garrett Bush recently pushed back on criticism of Sanders and said, “If the media thinks Shedeur can’t play, he’s a 5th-round pick with no upside, then why does he lead every single topic and conversation? Watson is the starter. Get in your analyst bag & start talking about what he needs to do week 1 against the Jag’s.”
This has to be said, if the media thinks shedeur can’t play, he’s a 5th round pick with no upside then why does he lead every single topic and conversation? Watson is the starter. Get in your analyst bag & start talking about what he needs to do week 1 against the Jag’s. #Browns
— Garrett Bush (@Gbush91) August 26, 2026
This Watson-led Browns offense is not expected to be very good. At least based on what we have seen from Watson in 2024, the last time we saw him play.
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According to PFN’s Offense Impact Metric, the Browns posted an impact score of 54.0 last season, ranking worst in the league.
There is no guarantee Watson will hold this job all year; Sanders will likely replace him at some point, but for now, the talk about the Browns’ offense should center on the veteran quarterback.
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Bush continued, “Shedeur is good for business. I do Shedeur content b/c I think he can be the long term answer. Others use his name for engagement. If he’s just a backup QB with a famous last name why is he your leading topic? Let’s make a bet. No local media can go a week without mentioning him.”
This has to be said, if the media thinks shedeur can’t play, he’s a 5th round pick with no upside then why does he lead every single topic and conversation? Watson is the starter. Get in your analyst bag & start talking about what he needs to do week 1 against the Jag’s. #Browns
— Garrett Bush (@Gbush91) August 26, 2026
Sanders will certainly be the most talked-about backup quarterback in the NFL this season. Once Watson has a bad play, you can guarantee the fan base will be calling for Sanders, and the media will follow suit.
Despite many wanting to see Sanders on the field, he was bad when given the chance to play last season. There is no guarantee he would be any better than Watson. According to PFN’s QB Impact Metric, Sanders had a QB Impact Score of 63.0 last season, which ranked him 37th out of 38 qualified quarterbacks.
The Browns are in for a long season, and despite Sanders being the backup to start the year, he will likely be the team’s most discussed quarterback.
