The Cleveland Browns have a major hole at the quarterback position, and Shedeur Sanders hasn’t shown much talent to prove why he should remain the team’s starting quarterback. There were thoughts that Sanders would go into next season as the team’s starter; however, one insider reveals that might not be the case.
$230M Cleveland Browns Quarterback Versus Shedeur Sanders
Sanders became a key starter for the Browns in the 2025 season, replacing rookie counterpart Dillon Gabriel. As a result, the Browns didn’t open Deshaun Watson’s practice window, who was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
It’s reported that there was still a belief in him as the team’s quarterback of the future. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com wrote about it.
Cabot wrote, “The Browns also opened Watson’s three-week practice window in December under terms of the Physically Unable to Perform list, and some in the organization felt he was the best quarterback on the field during that stretch.”
She continued, “With Sanders closing out the season, the Browns didn’t activate Watson, but he showed enough to have the team encouraged about his prospects heading into this year.”
As for new head coach Todd Monken, there is reportedly a lot of interest in having Watson back under center. Cabot had the following to say about the quarterback situation heading into next season:
“In a small group session after his introductory press conference, Monken acknowledged that he’s ‘intrigued’ by the opportunity to work with Watson, the 2017 No. 12 overall pick and three-time Pro Bowler during his four years in Houston, and see where that might go… Monken also told Channel 19 on the day of his introductory press conference that he’s eager to see what Watson can do.”
In 2022, the Browns acquired Watson and a 2024 sixth-round pick from the Houston Texans for three first-round picks (2022, 2023, and 2024), a 2022 fourth-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick, and a 2024 fourth-round pick.
Following the trade, they signed Watson to a five-year, $230,000,000 contract that was entirely guaranteed. However, the trade has not been as advertised for the organization.
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Since the trade, Watson has only played in 19 games, barely a full season. Since joining the team, he has a completion percentage of 61.2%, 3365 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
He’s only qualified once for the PFSN NFL QB Impact Metric because of his number of missed games. In 2024, he ranked 39th in the league with an impact score of 51.1 and a letter grade of F.
In the same metric, Sanders ranked 46th in the 2025 regular season with an impact score of 56.9 and a letter grade of F.
The quarterback situation is tricky in Cleveland. Do they give Watson another chance because they guaranteed him so much money, or do they try to develop Sanders under Monken?
