Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will be in the mix for the starting job.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will be in the mix for the starting job.
Shedeur Sanders showed enough promise in seven starts as a rookie to position himself as a potential frontrunner for the Cleveland Browns‘ starting quarterback job next season.
But with Deshaun Watson healthy and motivated heading into the final year of his contract, ESPN’s Adam Schefter isn’t ready to rule out the former Pro Bowler. Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, Schefter put the league on notice about what he’s hearing around Cleveland.
“There are people out there who believe that Deshaun Watson is gonna be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns on opening day,” Schefter said. “We will see how that situation unfolds.”
McAfee didn’t hold back about the reality of Watson’s steep decline and what he was like during his prime years with the Houston Texans.
“There was a time when this guy was being described as the Michael Jordan of football. Now obviously a lot happened — a lot, lot happened off the field and on the field,” McAfee said. “It’s been long and dramatic, with serious and intense stuff that took place. Mentally, is he ever going to get back to being that quarterback? We haven’t seen it.”
New Browns Coach Todd Monken Intrigued by Deshaun Watson
It’s hard to argue with McAfee’s assessment. Watson last played a full season in 2020, when he led the league with 4,823 passing yards. Since then, the combination of suspension and injury has made him one of the most expensive and least productive players in NFL history.
In three years in Cleveland, Watson has started just 19 games, completing 341 of 557 passes for 3,365 yards and 19 touchdowns. He missed all of last season recovering from two Achillies surgeries.
Despite the lack of recent production from Watson, Browns head coach Todd Monken isn’t closing the door on Watson being the starter. He characterized the quarterback situation as an open competition.
“Why wouldn’t it be an open competition?” Monken said at the combine. “I don’t mean that saying it harshly, but I don’t think there’s enough on film over the last couple years, one way or the other, to say, ‘Boy, we have our starter at quarterback yet.’ Whether internally or externally.”
Browns Still Exploring QB Options
Monken has also been complimentary of Sanders. He praised the former Colorado star’s upside while stopping well short of a commitment.
“I think what you see is elite playmaking ability. That’s in him,” Monken said. “Sure, there’s a ways to go. But what rookie isn’t — what first-year player doesn’t have a long way to go?”
General manager Andrew Berry echoed the same stance, but similarly left the door open for other possibilities.
“I think the biggest thing that we want to see from Shedeur is just continued growth,” Berry said. “I think he grew a lot from start one to start seven. Playing more efficiently, not putting the ball in harm’s way as much would be important, while maintaining the ability to produce out of structure and generate explosive plays.”
The Browns will also explore outside options, though the market has already begun to thin after the start of free agency. Malik Willis was the top available quarterback, but he quickly signed with the Miami Dolphins. Cleveland could instead turn to the draft, where they hold 10 total selections, including two in the first round.