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Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns
Coming into the 2026 season, the presumption is that the Cleveland Browns have two relatively unappetizing choices at quarterback, veteran Deshaun Watson and second-year man Shedeur Sanders. Unless the Browns pull a surprise in the NFL draft in two weeks, or if they surprise with a late free-agent or trade addition, that will be the crux of the decision coach Todd Monken must make.
If you remove the names, you get a sense of the bind the Browns are in. One is a fifth-round pick who has seven starts in his entire career and was rated the worst quarterback in the NFL among all qualifiers by Pro Football Focus’s grading system. The other is a 30-year old who has played 19 games in the last five years, has not played at all since 2024 and has had his Achilles tendon surgically repaired twice.
That’s not great. But for ESPN analyst Kevin Clark, this is a no-brainer. Yes, last season was rough for Sanders, but it was a terrible offense, and he still managed to win three games. He’s also only 24 years old and has at least shown some flashes of capability.
Browns Should ‘Not Include Deshaun Watson in This QB Competition’
The difference between the two is so great, Clark says, that the Browns should not even give Watson a realistic chance at the job. Speaking on the ESPN program, “Get Up” this week, Clark said this ought to be a competition between Sanders and his fellow draftmate, Dillon Gabriel, the 2025 third-round pick who started six games last year and went 1-5.
Said Clark: “I would not bring anybody else into that room. I would not include Deshaun Watson in this quarterback competition. I think it’s a waste of time as far as what the Browns are trying to build and I also think it’s chasing after justifying that decision and trying to make it look better than it actually was—it was the worst trade in NFL history.
“For Shedeur, I think it should be a camp competition Dillon Gabriel vs. Shedeur and I think Shedeur wins that 100 times out of 100. He has a higher ceiling, he showed better film, he showed better film last year. I just feel like, maybe he is not your franchise guy for the next 10 years but in 2026, let’s see what he can do.”
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Browns Contract Driving QB Competition?
The Browns have said that the job will be an open competition, that Monken will pick which quarterback he is leaning toward early in the process and begin by giving him first-team snaps. The logic for making Sanders the guy is solid, but the Browns do have other motives for leaning toward Watson, as Clark referenced–the disastrous 2022 trade with the Texans and the subsequent fully guaranteed $230 million contract that was given to Watson.
That deal has been an albatross for the organization since it was signed. And now that Watson is healthy and in the final year of the contract, the temptation is there for the Browns to squeeze out something from Watson after so much futility. Worse, the browns know how bad it would look if Watson sat this year, signed somewhere next year, won a job and looked good.
Deshaun Watson Could Push Shedeur Sanders
For former NFL defensive back Jason McCourty, the Browns need to at least keep Watson in the conversation, let him have a chance to show what he’s got rather than shutting him down altogether.
Said McCourty on “Get Up”: “The last time we saw Deshaun Watson, it wasn’t pretty by any stretch. I would start with Shedeur Sanders in pole position and he would be my QB1 starting the offseason program. But he’s going to have to earn that and keep it. If Deshaun Watson comes out there and proves he’s the best quarterback in the room, why wouldn’t you allow him to go out there and play?