The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation is yet again the team’s top storyline this offseason, with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders set to compete for the starting role. Sanders rose from the bottom of the depth chart last season to become the franchise’s QB1, but he’s bound to face some stiff competition from the three-time Pro Bowler.
Why Stephen A. Smith Wants Deshaun Watson to Lead the Cleveland Browns
Watson last played a snap during the 2024 season before he tore his Achilles tendon. The Browns’ quarterback situation has since become a riddle no one seems able to solve. One season and six quarterbacks later, the team has still not found a solution.
Smith, nonetheless, wants to see the former Houston Texans star finally claim authority over the elusive position, despite many believing Sanders is the future under center.
“I’m inclined to say [Shedeur Sanders will probably start the season] because he finished [last] season, and Deshaun Watson has been so bad in a Cleveland Browns uniform,” he said on “First Take.” “But because of the money, I’m inclined to give the man one more chance.”
.@stephenasmith thinks Deshaun Watson should be the starting QB for Cleveland 👀 pic.twitter.com/nHIZTbmUxs
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 31, 2026
With a losing record as a Brown, Watson’s infamous $230 million deal might be one of a small number of reasons why the franchise doesn’t want to cast him out yet. At this point, he still ranks among the most expensive busts in sports history, with only Russell Wilson at the Denver Broncos, Kyler Murray at the Arizona Cardinals, and Neymar Jr. at PSG measuring up.
“I’m not saying start him without him showing what he can do in training camp and preseason, but I’m praying and hoping that he lives up to his billing to some degree,” Smith added. “I cannot believe what a precipitous drop-off we’ve witnessed when it comes to Deshaun Watson in a Cleveland Browns uniform.”
Watson went from a run in Houston, where he hovered around 4,000 yards more often than not, to never even starting half the games in a season with Cleveland.
“When he was in Houston, it got to a point where it was Patrick Mahomes (No. 1) and then Deshaun Watson was right there with everybody else,” Smith said. “I’m just praying there could be some return to that Deshaun Watson.”
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“That” Watson (86.0 PFSN NFL QB Impact in 2020) is what the Browns paid for, and a resurrection would be one of the biggest turnarounds we’ve seen in NFL history.
Interestingly, with new head coach Todd Monken, who helped Lamar Jackson win his second MVP with the Baltimore Ravens, Watson might very well be in the best possible situation to revive his career.
