Why the Browns Quarterback Battle Isn’t Nearly As Close as Fans Think

The Browns are holding a quarterback competition for the week one starter at Jacksonville.

Browns quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders drop back to pass during training camp, July, 31, 2026, in Berea. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken is holding a two-man quarterback competition between veteran Dehsaun Watson and second-year player Shedeur Sanders.

Both players have received equal first-team reps and each one will get to start a preseason game prior to an announcement of a starting quarterback before the third and final preseason game. But is this competition as close as the Browns are letting on? Or should the competition even be this close?

Reports out of camp are that Watson has looked bad with his accuracy and decision making. While the first practices of training camp are hard to determine a skill level (as we are not aware what the quarterbacks are instructed to do on each play), Watson’s struggles have been alarming. 

Watson has not been productive in the NFL since 2020.

He has played 19 lackluster games with the Browns since 2022, failing to pass for 300 yards in any game. He has not played since October of 2024 and has been an albatross around the Browns’ neck since his signing. Watson finally hits free agency after the season and the Browns can start to move on from his contract. There is no benefit to Watson being the Browns starting quarterback for the majority of the 2026 season. 

Jul 29, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While reports also say Sanders has not looked good thus far in training camp, there is still hope that he could be a starting caliber quarterback in the NFL. His rookie season was plagued with turnovers and inaccuracy, and all the excuses can be made for why the 2025 season turned into the way it did for him; however, it was just not a good seven-game audition. 

In 2026, the Browns can only benefit from Sanders making the majority of the starts. If he shows that he can be the guy that the Browns thought they were getting with Watson, then they can move on from their search and invest even more high draft capital into the supporting cast. If Sanders fails then the Browns can confidently move on and draft a quarterback high in the 2027 draft. The Browns can only know if they play him. 

Is there a scenario where Watson starts the entire season, plays well, and the Browns are in contention?

Very unlikely cannot be emphasized enough. Six years have passed since Watson played consistently well. And as unlikely as that is, would the Browns give Watson another contract after this season? The Browns should cut loose with him and close the chapter on one of the worst trades in sports history. 

The quarterback competition could be a way to make sure that whomever is the backup quarterback is familiar with the offense. A new offense is getting installed in Berea and the Browns typically go through three to four quarterbacks a season. Monken is a first-time 60-year old head coach. This will probably be his one and only chance to be a head coach.

As such, he does not have time to waste waiting to produce wins. However, Watson proved he is not the safe bet to win football games with his 9-10 record as a Browns starter (5-1 in 2023, when the Browns had a great defense and made the playoffs starting 5 different quarterbacks). 

The Browns start two games on the road in Florida (Jacksonville and Tampa Bay). Monken could start Watson the first two games to ease Sanders into the season. Should they go 0-2, then they should start Sanders for the home opener. If the Browns start 0-2, Watson should not start at home surrounded by the fed-up fans. Each incompletion or worse, interception, will be greeted with roars for a quarterback change. 

There should not even be a quarterback competition because there is no benefit to starting Watson for the majority of the season.

The Browns need to start Sanders and make him show if he can be the franchise quarterback. If Watson gets named the starter for week one in Jacksonville, then be on the lookout for Sanders in week three at home. The Browns are aware that they need to figure out the quarterback room, and this “competition” will not deter them from starting Sanders the majority of the season.