‘Shedeur [Sanders] Is Going To Come In and Save Everybody’ — Ex-NFL QB Sounds Off on Browns’ Deshaun Watson Problem

The Cleveland Browns’ decision to start Deshaun Watson over Shedeur Sanders in Week 1 has raised plenty of questions.

While Watson’s experience played a role in the decision, former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick believes Cleveland’s biggest reason for sticking with him is financial. Watson’s massive contract has made it extremely difficult for the Browns to move on, even if they wanted to.

Ryan Fitzpatrick Explains Why Deshaun Watson’s The Browns’ Starter

Watson signed a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract with the Browns in 2022. The deal has left Cleveland facing one of the NFL’s toughest salary-cap situations.

If the Browns move on from Watson immediately, they would take a $127.1 million dead cap hit. Cleveland restructured his contract in March 2026, converting $44.7 million of his base salary into a bonus. The move created nearly $36 million in cap space for 2026 and lowered his cap hit to around $41 million, but it also pushed more money into future seasons.

After the 2026 season, Watson’s dead-cap charge would technically drop to $86.2 million for 2027, which could be spread over two seasons.

Fitzpatrick believes those numbers explain why Watson remains with the Browns.

“This $127 million cap hit is unprecedented. Something we’ve never seen before. So, once he plays the year out, it’s going to shift to $86 million. and they’re going to be able to push that over two years. So it’ll be a little bit more manageable for them. That’s the reason he’s still on the team. He would have been cut long ago if they didn’t have these cap hit implications.” Fitzpatrick said.

Despite the complicated situation, Fitzpatrick believes starting Watson could eventually work in Sanders’ favor. “I think it’s the best thing for Shedeur [Sanders], because what happens, Deshaun, at some point this year, is gonna fail and Shedeur is going to get to come in and save everybody,” he added.

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Deshaun Watson Under Pressure as Shedeur Sanders Waits His Turn

Watson’s preseason did little to ease concerns about his form. He went 11-of-15 for 126 yards against the Chicago Bears but struggled against the Buffalo Bills, completing just 5 of 12 passes for 36 yards and an interception.

He was also booed by the home crowd against Buffalo and initially described the reaction as “personal” before later clarifying his comments.

Sanders, meanwhile, showed flashes of promise. He completed 6 of 11 passes for 79 yards and an interception against Chicago before going 9-of-11 for 74 yards, a touchdown, and an interception against Buffalo.

For now, head coach Todd Monken has chosen Watson to start the season. But the pressure on the veteran quarterback is clear.

If Watson struggles once the regular season begins, Sanders could quickly become the player Browns fans are calling for. And according to Fitzpatrick, that could eventually give Cleveland a chance to turn a difficult quarterback situation into an opportunity for Sanders.