The Cleveland Browns quarterback competition has yet to be fully resolved, as Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are still battling it out for the QB1 job in 2026.
While this competition rolls along towards the start of the season, there's a significant angle that cannot be forgotten when it comes to Sanders potentially earning the QB1 role.
As The Athletics' Zac Jackson notes, the Browns' second-year QB has much more than the 2026 starting job at stake this year. A strong performance, and Sanders has a real chance to be the franchise QB in Cleveland for years to come.
Shedeur Sanders has chance to be Browns' franchise QB with 2026 performance
"All that's at stake is the franchise's immediate future," Jackson writes. "That's a little bit hyperbole, but the Browns are clearly embracing a future-based approach and probably position themselves to select a quarterback early in the 2027 draft. Sanders can change that part of the plan by establishing himself as a starting-quality player and leader this year."
This opportunity for Sanders is easier said than done, as not only does he have to beat out Watson to be named the Browns' starting quarterback, but he also has to keep that job all year.
Any misstep, and the Browns could turn to Watson, effectively ending any chance Sanders has to be the future of the QB position for the Browns.
But if he can have a productive season, thriving with Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, Isaiah Bond, Harold Fannin Jr., Quinshon Judkins, and Dylan Sampson behind a new-look offensive line under Todd Monken, he could be the starter beyond 2026.
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Such a future is going to be very difficult to accomplish for Sanders, as he's going to need to drastically improve upon his 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions from this past season in 2026 to get to such a point.
Becoming the franchise quarterback for the Browns is not likely, but it's legitimately possible for Sanders. An incredible 2026 season, along with his cheap rookie contract as a fifth-round pick, could give him a chance to start in 2027.
More likely than not, the Browns wind up drafting someone high in the first-round of the 2027 NFL Draft. But if Sanders breaks out as a star in 2026, he has a real case to be the team's QB1 moving forward.
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