Second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders lost the Cleveland Browns’ QB1 race to Deshaun Watson on Monday. Sanders and Watson had been engaged in one of the league’s fiercest QB1 battles until coach Todd Monken selected the veteran to be his starter this season.
That decision, however, was not greeted with enthusiasm from all quarters.
Asante Samuel Blasts Todd Monken’s Shedeur Sanders Call
During Monday’s segment of his “Say What Needs to be Said” podcast, former New England Patriots star Asante Samuel theorized that Monken’s hands were tied in the Browns’ QB1 decision-making process.
“All I could think of is Todd Monken is being told what to do,” Samuel said. “He’s just a puppet in this decision-making process. He wants Shedeur Sanders to be the starting quarterback, but can’t force the issue as the first-year head coach.
“I think he genuinely loves Shedeur Sanders. Todd Monken likes to give hints when he speaks. It just sounds like this wasn’t his decision.”
Samuel urged Sanders to be patient in the long run and wait for Watson to slip up.
“The long game, it’s telling Shedeur Sanders, ‘Be ready, be patient. This is a move that must be done. But your time is coming very soon.’ You know, it seems like everybody-the owner of the Cleveland Browns, Jim Haslam’s hires-is just making these horrible decisions. 100%, this will not sit well with the fans of the Cleveland Browns.”
NFL fans and analysts largely agreed that Watson winning the Browns’ QB1 race over Sanders was a mistake. The franchise’s own fans booed Watson during the Browns’ second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills last Saturday.
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Watson has had a non-existent relationship with Browns fans since being traded by the Houston Texans in 2022. The fans cheered when the quarterback tore his Achilles tendon in 2024, and during his news conference after the game against the Bills on Saturday, Watson snapped and slammed the Browns’ fanbase.
The veteran quarterback signed a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract in 2022, which means the Browns would have to take a significant cap hit to let him walk.
Many analysts have theorized that the only reason Watson won the QB1 race was because of his mammoth contract.
Watson has had a stop-start career in Cleveland, limited by off-field issues and long-term injuries. The quarterback has only played 19 games for the franchise and has a woeful 9-10 record.
In limited game time last season, Sanders led the Browns to a 3-4 record after fighting his way up the depth chart and finishing the season as the team’s starter. He tallied 1,400 passing yards on 56.6% completion, 7 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, earning the league’s second-worst PFN QB Impact score of 63.0.
