Genius of Browns 2025 Offseason Blunder Will Be Clear This Summer

Last offseason, the four-man quarterback competition delayed the development of Shedeur Sanders. That could be magnified this summer.

Jun 11, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Last preseason’s four-man quarterback competition could still be haunting the Cleveland Browns.

Heading into 2026 training camp, the Browns are allowing last year’s fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders to compete against Deshaun Watson to become Cleveland’s starting quarterback.

Watson hasn’t been a good quarterback since he led the league in passing in 2020. Since then, he’s missed two full seasons and has suffered a broken shoulder and two ruptured Achilles tendons. In seven starts as a rookie, Sanders threw 10 interceptions compared to seven touchdown passes.

It’s clear that the lack of preparation given to Sanders last offseason still clouds his future in Cleveland. This summer, the future of Sanders with the Browns could come into question.

What could change for Sanders this summer?

New Browns head coach Todd Monken has continued to praise Sanders for his development and commitment to improving during this offseason. While some reports indicate that Sanders could’ve closed the gap on Watson during Cleveland’s offseason program, the Browns still have a huge question mark at the most important position in sports.

Former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is entering the supplemental draft. Even though the Browns haven’t expressed any public interest in the admitted gambling addict, general manager Andrew Berry loves value. If the Browns believe Sorsby could be a first-round talent in the 2027 NFL Draft, and it only takes a third to acquire him, that’s typically the type of move that excites Cleveland’s front office.

In a recent radio interview, Berry explained that the organization views each off the field situation individually. They try to determine if a player is a good person who just made a bad mistake. 

Under Berry, the Browns have become a place for second chances. Pair that with Cleveland’s ongoing search for a franchise quarterback, and you can connect some dots on how they could be intrigued by Sorsby in the supplemental draft this summer.

Like all general managers, Berry does work on quarterbacks years before they declare for the NFL Draft. The Browns have already done work on Sorsby. It could be safe to assume that they were intrigued by some of what they saw on film during his two seasons at Cincinnati, as they selected Bearcats tight end Joe Royer in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

If Sorsby winds up in Cleveland, the Browns face a familiar predicament – too many quarterbacks. 

Watson and Sanders are competing for the starting job while 2025 third-rounder Dillon Gabriel and 2026 sixth-rounder Taylen Green have taken a back seat. 

Even though Gabriel underwhelmed in his six starts as a rookie, the organization has never wavered on their commitment to him. Similarly, Green’s raw athleticism would intrigue more teams than just the Browns, including some foes in the AFC North. Berry wouldn’t be able to cut the sixth-round pick and sneak him through waivers, as at least one divisional team had interest in selecting Green.

Where would that leave Sorsby?

Somebody gets voted off of the island if Sorsby comes to the Browns via the supplemental draft. 

The Browns would sacrifice a 2027 draft selection to acquire the 6-foot-3 quarterback in the supplemental draft, so trading Sanders or Gabriel is the likely outcome, considering they can’t trade Watson, who is owed his final $46 million of the $230 million contract that Cleveland has been paying him since 2022.

There’s no world in which Sorsby could start Week 1. He’s missed too much of the offseason program and could potentially face a suspension from the NFL for betting on sports in college. 

So if Watson is named Cleveland’s starting quarterback, that would leave no future for Sanders, who has been treated as the developmental starter. Would the Browns want a backup quarterback who is more popular than their starter (Watson) and their new developmental project (Sorsby)?

It’s a muddy situation that could result in yet another controversial trade if they decide to move on from Sanders to bet big on Sorsby via the supplemental draft. The decision to draft two mid-round quarterbacks never made much sense, and could finally be exposed this summer.