The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation has been a source of endless debate, frustration, and speculation for years. With other stars on a roster seemingly built to win, the scrutiny always circles back to the most critical and expensive position on the field.
Recently, the noise surrounding the franchise reached a fever pitch, with a loud segment of the fanbase clamoring for Shedeur Sanders to take the reins. However, veteran sports broadcaster Rich Eisen is stepping in to pour a heavy bucket of cold water on those dreams.
Why Rich Eisen Believes Deshaun Watson Will Start over Shedeur Sanders
During a recent segment on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Eisen did not mince words about who will be commanding the huddle in Cleveland. For Eisen, the harsh financial realities of the NFL dictate the depth chart, regardless of what fans might wish for in the offseason.
“It’s Deshaun Watson. It’s not going to be anybody else. Period,” Eisen stated emphatically. “They didn’t get anybody in free agency. They’re not going to go hire Jimmy G. Guess who’s going to start? The guy who they’ve owed all this money to and have paid all this money to watch him sit.”
Eisen’s comments strike at the heart of the Browns’ inescapable predicament. In 2022, Cleveland handed Watson an unprecedented fully guaranteed $230 million contract. Since then, injuries, suspensions, and on-field inconsistencies have plagued his tenure, leading to immense frustration among the Dawg Pound.
When whispers of a quarterback controversy arise, especially involving a high-profile, electrifying young quarterback like Sanders, it is incredibly easy for fans to get swept up in the fantasy of a clean slate. However, Sanders was given an F based on PFSN’s QB Impact metric for 8 games in which he played in 2025.
Yet, as Eisen astutely points out, an NFL organization does not bench a quarter-of-a-billion-dollar investment without giving him every conceivable opportunity to succeed.
“It’s going to be him. It’s going to be him. 100% it’s going to be him,” Eisen reiterated, hammering home the inevitable truth. He also offered a blunt piece of advice for the Cleveland faithful who might be struggling to accept this reality: “And if Browns fans need to reconcile, spend the months doing it. It’s going to be him.”
Rather than engaging in a quarterback controversy that the front office has no financial flexibility to actually entertain, Eisen suggests the focus should shift to how the Browns can finally unlock the elite version of Watson they thought they paid for. Building the offense around him is the only viable path forward.
“And if he shows up as him, it would be nice to give him Carnell Tate to throw to,” Eisen concluded.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
This final point highlights the true strategy Cleveland must adopt. Instead of utilizing premium draft capital or cap space to replace Watson, or turning to a young player like Sanders, the Browns are financially handcuffed to the strategy of elevating their current starter. Adding a dynamic playmaker like Tate, the Ohio State standout, to the receiving corps makes far more sense structurally than drafting a replacement quarterback.
Ultimately, the Browns made their bed with Watson. Eisen feels they have no choice but to lie in it, surround him with the best possible weapons, and hope the massive investment finally pays off.
