Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
The Cleveland Browns insist their quarterback competition is open between Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel — but their social media may already be telling a different story.
On the first day of the team’s voluntary offseason program, the Browns made four Instagram posts showing players arriving and working out at the facility. Sanders appeared prominently in three of them — including a video of him entering the building. Gabriel and Watson, both of whom were in attendance, were not pictured in any of the posts.
“S2 ready for year 2,” the Browns wrote — a nod to Sanders’ new No. 2 jersey, which he reclaimed from his college days at Jackson State and Colorado.
Fans noticed immediately.
“Mind you, on the Browns website, you see photos of Deshaun Watson AND Dillon Gabriel. Yet the only QB I see pictured on this slide is Sanders,” one fan wrote on social media.
“Where are the pictures of Gabriel? Did he go to Atlanta?” another added, referencing Kevin Stefanski’s departure to the Falcons.
“With all this press, he’d better start the season. I don’t wanna hear about no Watson,” a third fan said.
The move by the Browns’ social media team probably isn’t something to overanalyze — but it’s at least worth noting. Sanders moves the needle in a way few players do, and featuring him prominently is an easy way to drive engagement, spark conversation, and keep the fan base locked in during a quiet part of the offseason.
Monken: Shedeur Sanders Has Elite Traits
New head coach Todd Monken has been careful about his statements on the quarterback situation. However, he has praised what he’s seen from Sanders on tape.
“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. 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?”
Monken has maintained that it’s an open competition, but the setup suggests it may not be entirely even. Reps won’t be distributed equally, giving Sanders — or whoever opens atop the depth chart — a built-in edge early in the process.
“I wouldn’t say they’re going to be evenly dispersed, but we’ll definitely disperse them to give ourselves a chance to at least evaluate who we have on the roster, whoever that might be as we go through the offseason,” Monken said.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson Getting ‘Fresh Start’
Watson, who has not played since October 2024 after suffering a twice-torn Achilles, is back in the fold. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam — who gave Watson a guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract in 2022 — has publicly expressed optimism around Watson’s return.
“Deshaun has a great chance, fresh start, offensive-minded coach, who has in his past been able to work with all kinds of different quarterbacks and make them successful,” Haslam said. “So, Deshaun has a great chance to do that now. We talked to him the other day, he said he weighs the [least] he has in several years. He’s in great shape … Let’s see what Deshaun can do. We’re all excited.”
A notable absence for the Browns was reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. While he’s rarely participated in voluntary workouts, this year’s absence comes with added intrigue amid ongoing trade speculation.