Veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders have entered the offseason with one clear goal. Both are pushing to earn the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback job for next season.
While the two passers recently trained together in Miami alongside teammates, the question remains unchanged: who should open the season as QB1?
Former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum believes the answer is straightforward.
Mike Tannenbaum Wants Browns To Show Faith in Shedeur Sanders
Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Tannenbaum argued that the Browns should hand Sanders the opportunity because he offers the franchise a better long-term direction.
“It’s a no-brainer; you’ve got to go with Shedeur Sanders,” Tannenbaum said. “Shedeur physically has all the measurables you want; [he] has a good arm. Look, last year was a disaster. That wasn’t his fault. I’m intrigued; I thought there was enough good tape you saw in Colorado that he can make all the throws. He can process well.
“We’ve got to see what we have in him, because if we can win, whatever it is, eight to 12 games with him, that could change our plan going forward. There’s no way Deshaun Watson is part of this organization in 2027. We’ve got to cut our losses, admit our mistake, and move on.”
Watson’s situation is complicated because he is returning from a lengthy injury.
The quarterback, who turns 31 in Sept., has not appeared in a game since suffering a torn right Achilles during the 2024 season. Unfortunately, he re-ruptured the tendon the following January, underwent another surgery, and missed the entire 2025 campaign.
As a result, Watson has appeared in only 19 games since arriving in Cleveland in 2022.
During that stretch, the Browns rotated through Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders under center without finding a lasting solution.
Looking at Sanders, his rookie season was rough. He started only seven games and completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while adding another score on the ground.
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In PFN’s QB Impact Metric, he had a 63.0 impact score, which ranked as the second-lowest mark in the league.
Still, Sanders did not shy away from owning those struggles. Speaking with ESPN’s Nadeska Alexis, he admitted the season was “tough” and pointed to the importance of stability away from football.
“I can’t be consistent on the field and not have consistency in my personal life,” Sanders said. “Whatever you do in your personal life is going to bleed into how you feel. If you’re disciplined, you’re going to make the right reads. If you have a lot of distractions, you’re gonna get distracted.”
Sanders also said the difficult season gave him valuable perspective instead of shaking his confidence.
“You’re going to think the cornerback is backpedaling when he’s really sitting. It was just a tough year last year. My expectations, when I look back, at least I made it through there. At least I made some crazy plays out there. I got it in me. All I gotta do now is just show everybody else.”
For now, the quarterback competition remains wide open. Whoever takes advantage of every practice and preseason opportunity will likely earn the Week 1 starting job.
