3 Reasons Shedeur Sanders Is the Best QB1 for the Browns in 2026

The Cleveland Browns still need to name a Week 1 starting quarterback. That is a tale seemingly as old as time.

Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson continue to battle it out in camp and the lack of a starter being named indicates head coach Todd Monken has not seen either player stand out thus far. The two players are in polar opposite positions in their respective careers, making this competition a bizarre one.

Yet there are several clear reasons why Sanders is the obvious choice as QB1, even if all of those reasons don't mean the team ends up making a deep playoff run.

1. The Deshaun Watson experiment has failed miserably

The owner of the Browns has already publicly stated that the Watson deal was a failure. So why would he start on the final year of his contract?

It is more than evident that Watson's fully-guaranteed, $230 deal is a massive sunk cost. He is turning 31 in September and it may take an actual Super Bowl run for him to get another contract in Cleveland. That would be the shock of the century, to say the least.

red zone rollin'@deshaunwatson | @dl_boston5 pic.twitter.com/ZxShcHIKPu
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 5, 2026

He has not yet won the job in camp and that says plenty about his current level of play. Thinking anything will be different in 2026 doesn't make logical sense.

2. The potential upside of Shedeur Sanders

Let's not forget, Sanders was talked about as a high first-round pick in 2025 before he reportedly had terrible meetings with teams in the pre-draft process. He helped ignite a dead program in Colorado and showed flashes of success both in college and last year with the Browns, even though it was mixed in with some major blunders.

The team has traded away Myles Garrett, a franchise legend, and Jimmy Haslam let it slip he expects the team to be a playoff contender in 2027.

KC for the TD 🙌@KCTheKid7 | @ShedeurSanders pic.twitter.com/qLkSVNp05X
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 5, 2026

This means the team has nothing to lose by playing Sanders. If he suceeds, then he is the quarterback. If he fails, that is another potentially nice scenario.

3. A bad season for Shedeur Sanders helps the Browns in 2027

If Sanders plays well, that is a massive positive. But what if he performs poorly?

That also doesn't change much in terms of the team's future plans. The Garrett trade brought an extra first-round pick to Cleveland, which could be used to help go after a top quarterback prospect in 2027.

Sanders failing means a miserable 2026 season for fans. However, it may be the best thing for the organization as it would also mean the end of the Watson contract and a fresh start for everyone in town.

Add us as a preferred source on Google