The Cleveland Browns don’t have a clear runway at quarterback entering the 2026 regular season, casting a shadow of uncertainty over a position that has flirted with mediocrity for the better part of three decades.
Minicamp didn’t offer much clarity, and head coach Todd Monken is holding off on naming a starter between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.
Browns Between a Rock and a Hard Place at Quarterback
At this point, the Browns appear destined for failure under center, barring something miraculous happening. It would take a career resurgence for Watson, who, since being traded to Cleveland, has been below average when he’s been on the field.
Watson has played in just 19 games since joining the Browns in 2022. He’s been suspended and hindered by an onslaught of injuries. Considering the Browns traded three first-round picks to the Houston Texans for Watson’s services and the right to sign him to a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract, the trade was nothing short of a horrific catastrophe.
In a segment on “Pro Football Talk” with Mike Florio, NFL analyst Michael Holley believes that quarterbacks coming out of college should go back to school or pursue other avenues rather than play for the Browns.
“Just hearing Cleveland Browns quarterbacks talk and knowing their history with quarterbacks, if you’re in college, if you’re a top quarterback, do you want to play for the Cleveland Browns?” Holley asked.
“I think I might say, ‘You know what? I’m not gonna do it.’ I’ll pull a John Elway, I’ll play baseball. Even though I didn’t play baseball in college, I’ll play baseball. I’ll do something else. I’ll go back to school. I’ll sit out.”
The Browns cycled through the likes of Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders at quarterback last season, never finding a true, full-time option. Sanders started seven games, completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for another touchdown.
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It was a ghastly showing for Sanders, who was selected in the fifth round of last year’s draft. But his aspirations aren’t dead in the water yet. Monken, who spent the last three seasons as the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator and helped Lamar Jackson win an MVP in 2023, could play a part in keeping Sanders’ career afloat.
Either way, whether it’s Watson or Sanders, neither option is anything to write home about. “It’s just a disaster,” Holley continued. “What a disaster their quarterbacking situation has been for the better part of 25 years since they returned to Cleveland.”
Watson hasn’t played in a game since the 2024 season, when he tore his right Achilles tendon. He re-ruptured the Achilles tendon the following January, forcing him to undergo a second surgery and sideline him for all of 2025.
According to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, Sanders posted an impact score of 56.7 last season, ranking third-worst in the league.
