Shedeur Sanders faced a nightmare scenario in his NFL debut last week. After a draft-day plummet that made headlines this spring, the rookie stepped in for an injured starter and struggled mightily, posting a 13.5 passer rating.
Now, as he prepares for his first career start Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Cleveland Browns are pulling out all the stops to get him ready. That includes a lifeline from a veteran who hasn’t traveled with the team all season.
How Will Deshaun Watson Support Shedeur Sanders vs. Raiders?
Deshaun Watson is finally hitting the road. For the first time in the 2025-26 campaign, the veteran quarterback will travel with the Browns to Las Vegas. It marks his first trip with the squad since a joint practice with the Panthers back in training camp, according to Cleveland.com.
While Watson will remain on the sideline, he is expected to communicate directly with Sanders through the headset. This guidance could prove vital for Sanders, who took his first NFL snaps last week after Dillon Gabriel left with a concussion. Gabriel has started six games this year, managing a 1-5 record, but he remains in the league’s concussion protocol. That leaves the door open. If Sanders shines against the Raiders, the question of who starts next week becomes much harder to answer.
The rookie needs a short memory. If last week showed anything, it’s that Sanders has significant work to do to keep the starting gig. In his relief appearance, he completed just four of 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception. That stat line resulted in a 13.5 passer rating. To put that in perspective, a quarterback who spiked the ball into the grass on every single play would finish with a 39.6 rating.
Sanders should benefit from Watson’s presence in his ear. Even though Watson has barely played recently, he knows head coach Kevin Stefanski’s system inside and out.
What Is the Status of Deshaun Watson’s Return?
Technically, Watson remains the franchise quarterback. But the 30-year-old can’t seem to stay healthy, and his performance when active hasn’t silenced the doubters.
Looking back, the 2022 blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans appears to be a massive misstep. The Browns shipped off three first-round picks, a 2023 third-rounder, and fourth-rounders in 2022 and 2024. In return, they got Watson and handed him a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. The results haven’t followed. The team currently sits dead last in offense with a 52.8 rating in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric.
The return on investment simply isn’t there. Watson has played only 19 games across three seasons, completing 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Injuries tell most of the story. Watson’s tenure in Cleveland has been derailed by legal issues and major health setbacks, including a season-ending shoulder injury in 2023 and a torn Achilles tendon in 2024. While he aimed to return to start the 2025-26 campaign, he re-ruptured his Achilles in January, forcing a second surgery.
Currently, Watson sits on the physically unable to perform list. He can return to practice at any time. Once he does, the Browns will have a 21-day window to decide whether to activate him to the 53-man roster.
