Matt Johnson
Deshaun Watson seemed to have the clear edge to be the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback in Week 1 ahead of June. With training camp fast approaching, things between Watson and Shedeur Sanders seem to be getting a lot more interesting.
NFL insider James Palmer said this week on a Bleacher Report live stream that Sanders has “closed the gap” on Watson’s in the Browns’ quarterback battle. With NFL training camp approaching, Cleveland will now have a legitimate battle.
It’s worth revisiting where things stood just a few months ago. Watson, coming off a torn Achilles, reportedly “hit it off” with first-year Browns head coach Todd Monken early. In late May, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Watson had a “leg up” in the Browns’ quarterback competition. Things seemed to take a turn soon after.
Watson reportedly struggled with inconsistency in June, opening the door for Cleveland’s second-year quarterback to make this a legitimate competition. Sanders earned praise from Monken for “being more decisive” and reports from the practice field were that he had been “impressing” coaches and showing real signs of development.
It’s also worth revisiting how poorly Watson played the last time he was on the field. In 2024, he completed just 63.4 percent of his passes and posted a 79.0 passer rating with a 1-6 record as the starter and a 5-3 TD-INT ratio. In three seasons with the Browns, he has compiled just a 61.2 percent completion rate, averaged only 6.0 yards per attempt and had an 80.7 passer rating.
Sanders struggled as a rookie, posting a 56.6 percent completion rate with a 7-10 TD-INT line and a 68.1 passer rating. With that said, the Browns’ offense received an overhaul this offseason and the coaching staff clearly feels more confident in its second-year passer.
We fully expect both Watson and Sanders to make multiple starts for the Browns this season. While the former Pro Bowl signal-caller seems to be the slight favorite right now, Sanders has the momentum and it would no longer be a surprise if he earns the starting gig.
