With the Sanders family involved, the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition involving Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders is getting very serious. Sanders’ camp is ambitiously calling for him to start, sparking significant controversy; however, Watson is comfortably holding his own as the more experienced player. There’s one interesting point to consider, though.
Shedeur Sanders Not Out of Browns QB Competition Yet
Sanders might have closed out last season as the Browns’ QB1, but his lack of experience and a proven track record have put him behind Watson. Cleveland aims to hit the road running under new head coach Todd Monken, and as such, the team is currently opting for the signal-caller with proven mettle.
However, Watson’s run over the last few years left plenty to desire, having last won a game in Week 2 of the 2024 season. The veteran might have a leg up on his younger counterpart in the building, but the door is wide open for Sanders to pounce on the nearest opportunity.
Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot reported on the team’s preseason situation when asked about it on “The Ken Carman Show With Anthony Lima.”
“Deshaun is coming off two Achilles surgeries and also a shoulder surgery, and he’s 30 years old,” she said. “Just because he starts the season doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to finish the season. So, everyone has to be ready.”
For Sanders, topping his 2025 numbers might not be hard, but he has quite a distance to go to convince Cleveland’s top brass that he’s the franchise’s answer at quarterback. Last season, he logged a 56.7 PFSN QB Impact score, which ranked fourth-worst in the league, while throwing for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
“Deshaun is coming off 2 achilles surgeries and a shoulder surgery and he’s 30 years old. Just because he starts the season doesn’t mean he’s going to finish the season. Everyone has to be ready.”
📞@MaryKayCabot says if Shedeur Sanders isn’t the week 1 starter, he can still get… https://t.co/hia2pkI1TY pic.twitter.com/DP4qCkhlDh
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) May 21, 2026
“Shedeur still has an opportunity to come from behind and take this thing over, but just from the sheer optics of it, it looks right now like Deshaun is ahead,” Cabot added.
“Shedeur still has an opportunity to come from behind and take this thing over, but just from the sheer optics of it, it looks right now like Deshaun is ahead.”@MaryKayCabot confirms the Browns QB competition is open, but Deshaun Watson seems to be in the lead pic.twitter.com/Os7NVLmkEv
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) May 21, 2026
Similar to Sanders, Watson has a mountain to climb just to get back to his heights from his days with the Houston Texans. Since joining the Browns, he has yet to cross the 1,200-yard mark through the air in a single season.
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Watson is not looking like the $230 million man the team traded for, and will have to make a massive step-up in 2026 if he is to stay ahead of the young Sanders.
The quarterback race in Cleveland is hot, and with the fanfare it has received, it’ll be interesting to see how things ramp up ahead of the new season.
