The Cleveland Browns’ season has gone from bad to worse following their latest loss to the struggling New York Jets. Rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel has failed to spark the offense, intensifying calls from fans to give Shedeur Sanders a shot under center.
Yet, head coach Kevin Stefanski has doubled down, confirming Gabriel as the starter for Week 11, a move that’s only added to fan frustration. And to make matters even more surprising, one prominent insider believes the Browns are more likely to turn back to Deshaun Watson before giving Sanders a chance.
Can the Browns Start Deshaun Watson Before Shedeur Sanders?
Gabriel has struggled mightily since taking over the starting job after Cleveland traded veteran Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals. He currently ranks 37th out of 38 eligible players in PFSN’s QB Impact Rankings this year.
Following a disastrous loss to the New York Jets, the Browns’ record now sits at 2–7, effectively ending their playoff hopes. With the season slipping away, fans are questioning Stefanski’s decision-making, particularly his reluctance to give Sanders a shot under center. Sanders, though a fifth-round pick, has been viewed by many as a potential spark for Cleveland’s stagnant offense.
However, according to NFL insider Albert Breer, the Browns might be more inclined to turn back to Deshaun Watson before handing the reins to Sanders.
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Breer said on 92.3 The Fan in response to a question about Watson seeing the field before Sanders. “My guess is they’d like to see both of them. But I think we have to remember that Shedeur is a fifth-round pick. The investment the organization has in those two guys is on different planets.”
“One guy is under contract for the next three years, after this year, at a very low number. The other guy you have under contract for one more year, and you’re guaranteeing him $46 million. It’s not even close to the same thing, regardless of how famous the fifth-round pick may be.”
That financial reality looms large over Cleveland’s quarterback situation. As Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot recently reported, Watson is expected to return to practice within the next week or two. If the Browns determine he’s healthy enough and capable of giving them a better chance to win, Breer believes he’ll get the nod.
“The players know who the best players are and who will give them the best shot to win,” Breer added. “With Deshaun’s experience and everything else, if he’s truly healthy and ready to go, I have a hard time seeing a scenario where he would get out there to practice and it wouldn’t be relatively obvious that he gives them a better shot to win.”
Watson, who re-tore his Achilles, hasn’t played an NFL game since Oct. 20, 2024. The Browns went against the grain and decided to pay him a guaranteed $230 million deal despite his average play. The former Houston Texans quarterback is one of the most polarizing figures in the league, but it’s not as if he’s proven himself worthy of the contract either.
Since signing with the Browns in 2022, Watson has appeared in just 19 games. He hasn’t played more than seven games in a season, illustrating the team’s limited reliance on him. Last year, he had an F grade in PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, showing how far his play has fallen. Many fans and analysts argue that putting him back under center this season would be a disastrous move.
“That is a surefire way to take everyone from pretty mad to a level of rage we haven’t seen in a good amount of time. You cannot put him out there. What do you get out of it?,” said Nick Wilson about the likely reaction of Browns fans.
For now, Stefanski has reaffirmed Gabriel as the starter for Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens. While Watson’s return to action this season appears uncertain, his quick recovery could very well delay Sanders’ debut. And if that happens, speculation about whether Stefanski truly trusts or even likes Sanders will only grow louder.