The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback battle finally reached game action Saturday, and the box score appeared to give Deshaun Watson the early edge. However, Asante Samuel is not ready to hand him anything yet.
The two-time Super Bowl champion defended Shedeur Sanders after Cleveland’s 34-10 preseason loss to the Chicago Bears, arguing that Watson’s cleaner stat line did not capture everything that happened on the field.
Asante Samuel Pushes Back on Deshaun Watson Narrative
“Deshaun Watson made a lot of errors,” Samuel said while discussing the battle. “A lot of bad mistakes out there. Today was a day for him to knock the rust off and just get back to playing football after however long it’s been.”
“Deshaun Watson didn’t complete a pass over 10 yards,” Samuel added. “His passes were all 10 yards or less. Deshaun Watson had 126 yards. Everybody’s clapping it up. It looks good. I’m not convinced yet, and I’m sure Todd Monken isn’t convinced.”
Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards in the first half. Sanders followed by completing 6 of 11 passes for 79 yards with 1 interception.
Those numbers make Watson’s outing look comfortably better. Samuel believes the film tells a messier story.
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“Y’all are absolutely off the mark if you think Deshaun Watson outplayed Shedeur Sanders because of a screen play,” Samuel wrote on X.
Y’all Are Absolutely Off The Mark If You Think DeShaun Watson Outplayed Sheduer Sanders Because Of A Screen Play https://t.co/0Cs64NrGQN
— Asante Samuel (@pick_six22) August 16, 2026
That screen play was a short completion to Dylan Sampson that turned into a 43-yard gain. Watson also fumbled on a fourth-down strip-sack and had issues with operations, including a timeout and delay-of-game concerns.
Head coach Todd Monken did not sound disappointed with Sanders, either. He said he was “really pleased” with Cleveland’s quarterback play overall and specifically highlighted Sanders coming off the bench and immediately attacking downfield in the official recap.
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Sanders hit Gage Larvadain for 24 yards before connecting with Luke Floriea for 35 yards against a zero blitz. Monken said those were exactly the kinds of plays Cleveland wanted to evaluate.
Samuel’s support does not erase Sanders’ mistakes. His interception came early in the fourth quarter, and he also mishandled a snap that the Browns recovered.
Sanders Still Has Work to Do in Browns QB Battle
The debate is especially complicated because Sanders is coming off an uneven rookie season. He threw for 1,400 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while winning 3 of 7 starts.
Sanders finished 2025 with a 63.0 PFN QB Impact score, the second-worst mark among qualifying quarterbacks. That gives Cleveland plenty of reason to demand improvement rather than simply handing him the job.
Watson, meanwhile, was playing for the first time since 2024 after multiple Achilles surgeries. His return alone was significant, and Monken praised how he functioned after such a long absence.
Still, Cleveland has intentionally avoided making this a one-game audition. Sanders will start the second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 22, while Watson will enter for the second half. Both are also scheduled to receive first-team work during joint practices.
That gives Sanders an immediate opportunity to answer the ugly parts of Saturday’s stat sheet.
Samuel’s argument is not that Sanders played flawlessly. It is that evaluating the competition by completion percentage and yardage alone misses context. For a Browns QB debate that already seems destined to produce daily arguments, one preseason game was never going to settle much anyway.
