Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson? Who should start next for the Browns?

The Cleveland Browns are once again in a nightmare position. The team sits at 1-5 with an offense that has been unable to score more than 17 points in a game this season. That is the reality for a team unable to figure out the quarterback position since 1999.

Dillon Gabriel is the current starter and has been set up to fail by both the coaching staff and the front office. The former had him throw the ball 52 times in Sunday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He actually dropped back a total of 58 times if you count the six sacks he took as well.

The latter has set him up with what appears to be replacement-level offensive tackles. The rookie third-round pick was rushed into the starting lineup, made his debut in England, and is already 0-2 without a home start under his belt.

While the playoffs are a fantasy at this point, there are still 11 games left to play. The players will do their best to win, and that means the Browns may continue their longstanding tradition of trotting out three or more starting quarterbacks in a given season.

Gabriel has been taking a beating and if he can't beat the 1-5 Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the Browns may move on, at least for now. If not after such a loss, perhaps after the Week 9 bye. There is the possibility Gabriel looks much better and takes down a toxic Dolphins team, but let's say he does not. What comes next?

Shedeur Sanders is currently the backup, while Bailey Zappe is third on the depth chart. But let's not forget about Deshaun Watson. ESPN insider Adam Schefter revealed Monday that he is roughly a month away from returning to "football activities."

Schefter on Deshaun Watson: “He’s a good month away from being cleared for any football activity.” https://t.co/wKHMhOSMoU
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) October 13, 2025

A month from today would be the lead-up to a Week 11 game at home against the Baltimore Ravens. Already at 1-5, the record outlook for that point in time is not great. So could Watson replace Gabriel?

The question may come down to other changes made on the roster. Going to Sanders in the next week or so may be a premature move, given just how much time is left in the season. The Browns are clearly easing him along and see Gabriel as the better of the two rookies. Having Sanders go from QB3 to QB1 before November would seem like a panic move.

However, what if Kevin Stefanski is fired? An interim coach would have nothing to lose and could decide to see if Sanders could provide a spark on offense.

In this scenario, it would be hard to rationalize playing Watson if the record is already so bad. Yes, he is earning generational wealth to not play this year. But why draft two rookie quarterbacks if you won't play both when the season is already lost? Playing Watson serves no benefit to the present or the future of the organization.

Watson is also coming off a major injury and putting him on the field with a broken offensive line would not make much sense. Thus, Sanders should be the next man up. But knowing this organization, Zappe may be next in line if an immediate change is coming, continuing a string of confusing decisions at the most important position in sports.