Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson faces an uncertain future.
Getty
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson faces an uncertain future.
The Cleveland Browns say there will be an “open competition” between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson for the starting quarterback job — but only one offers a realistic long-term path forward for the franchise.
Watson is heading into the final year of the four-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract he signed in 2022 after landing with the Browns via a blockbuster trade. He’s appeared in just 19 games since arriving in Cleveland and the move has been dubbed a big “swing and miss” for the franchise.
Watson is expected to be fully healthy for the team’s offseason workouts, where new coach Todd Monken will get the first look at his quarterbacks on the field. However, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com is giving the early edge to Sanders.
“I really don’t know yet, but my gut feeling right now, as we speak, is that Shedeur Sanders will have the edge,” Cabot said on the Orange and Browns Talk podcast. “They’re going to want him to pick up where he left off and see if they can build off it on what Todd Monken can do with him.”
Cabot admitted she’s heard other perspectives that believe Watson could have an edge.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Represents Realistic Path Forward
Watson has the experience and resume advantage over Sanders. He’s made three Pro Bowls in his career, all with the Houston Texans. But Watson is heading into the final year of his contract, is now 30 years old, and carries significant injury concerns. There’s also a rust factor, with Watson missing all of last season.
Even if he were to win the starting job and produce solid results, the question would be what the Browns do moving forward. For the franchise, it would be more beneficial if Sanders were able to win the job and prove he can be a viable starting quarterback to build around.
“That’s the easiest and best path forward. Give Shedeur the shot in OTAs and training camp, he wins the job outright, and you ride into the season with him as your No. 1, and he gives you confidence that he can be the franchise quarterback,” Dan Labbe of cleveland.com said on the podcast with Cabot. “Deshaun Watson makes things more complicated because he’s a free agent and older.”
Cabot echoed a similar sentiment.
“That is the path of least resistance. If he can go out there with the money he makes right now, which is basically peanuts as a fifth-round pick, that’d be like winning a lottery ticket for the Cleveland Browns,” Cabot said. “It’d help make up for the fact that you spent $230 million on Deshaun Watson and got virtually nothing out of him. If that can happen and you can spend several years building on what Shedeur can do with a low rookie contract cost, it would be such a bonanza for the Browns.”
Browns Not Giving Shedeur Sanders Edge — Yet
The Browns have been careful not to give an edge to either Sanders or Watson when discussing the quarterback situation.
“I mean, I don’t why it wouldn’t be an open competition. 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,” Monken said.
That’s not to say Monken hasn’t liked what he’s seen from Sanders. While there’s room for growth, Sanders showed some significant upside as an off-schedule playmaker during his seven starts as a rookie. He passed for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
“I think what you see is elite playmaking ability. That’s in him,” Monken said. “You’ve seen it. We’ve seen it. You saw it in college. You saw it on tape last year,” Monken said. “Sure, there’s a ways to go. But what rookie isn’t, I mean, what first year player doesn’t have a long way to go?”
The Browns also have Dillon Gabriel on the roster, although the third-round pick is not expected to factor into the starting quarterback conversation.