The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation remains one of the most unsettled and discussed storylines heading into the 2026 season. Shedeur Sanders enters Year 2 with meaningful reps already under his belt, while Deshaun Watson is attempting to work his way back from a lengthy injury absence.
That has created a difficult evaluation for Cleveland’s new staff, especially given head coach Todd Monken’s expected early identification of a QB1 rather than splitting first-team reps throughout the offseason. And while Sanders may appear to have internal support and momentum, at least one prominent NFL analyst believes Watson still has the higher ceiling.
Daniel Jeremiah Explains Why Shedeur Sanders Still Has Work To Do
During a recent appearance on 92.3 The Fan, NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah offered a detailed evaluation of Sanders, both from his pre-draft profile and what he showed during his rookie season in Cleveland.
Jeremiah made it clear that while Sanders has traits to work with, he still sees technical and functional concerns in the young quarterback’s game.
“I was someone who, when I watched him, there were a lot of good things coming out of Colorado,” Jeremiah said. “I just didn’t think he was ultra twitchy, and I thought he had some bad habits. Really, the drifting thing was worrisome, and that showed up last year as well. So there’s still things he needs to work on there. I do think he’s a very skilled thrower with the touch, the accuracy, it’s not a huge, huge arm, but he’s an anticipation thrower.”
Jeremiah then expanded on that thought by noting that his concerns about Sanders’ pocket habits and overall ceiling did not disappear after his rookie campaign.
“I liked him. I think he was my 20th overall player in that class. And obviously it felt like a rock out of that draft,” Jeremiah added. “But last year, I thought I saw a lot of similar things. So I thought you saw some anticipation, the touch, the accuracy. He’s got some habits in terms of holding the ball and drifting in the pocket that need to be cleaned up. I don’t know that he’s ever going to be a top 10 quarterback in the NFL. I don’t think he has that type of ceiling, but I think he has a chance to be a functional starter.”
That assessment aligns with the data, which showed statistically significant results in Sanders’ first year. According to PFSN’s Quarterback Impact Metric, Sanders posted a 56.9 QBi score and a below-average F grade, ranking 46th among quarterbacks in the league for the season.
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Across eight appearances and seven starts, he completed 120 of 212 passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while averaging 175 passing yards per game. Those numbers reflected flashes of some promise, but not enough week-to-week consistency.
Why Jeremiah Still Thinks Deshaun Watson Has the Higher Ceiling
Even with Watson having not played a regular-season game in 2025 while recovering from injury, Jeremiah still believes the Browns may need to at least explore that upside before fully handing the job to Sanders.
“The challenge is going to be as I’ve seen Deshaun Watson at his best… he played at an elite level, and there’s a higher ceiling with him,” Jeremiah added. “If he could ever find his way back to that. And maybe that’s gone and never going to happen. But I would be intrigued at least when he’s healthy, new coach, new system. I want to see what that looks like first, just because I think there is more upside with him.”
That creates a fascinating dilemma for Cleveland, as Sanders may still be in the best position to claim the job, but if Watson is healthy enough to compete, the Browns could be tempted by the bigger upside.
