Cleveland Browns Shedeur Sanders
Shedeur Sanders Receives Bold Browns Starting QB Prediction Over Deshaun Watson 1
Cleveland Browns‘ quarterback competition has been building since spring, when Shedeur Sanders first began closing the gap in practice reps. This week it picked up a new voice, and it came from national television rather than the practice field.
Former NFL All-Pro Gerald McCoy predicted on First Take that Sanders will finish the season with more starts than Deshaun Watson, pointing to the direction he believes the coaching staff has already signaled.
Shedeur Sanders Tipped to Earn More Starts Than Watson
McCoy’s comments came during a First Take segment alongside Stephen A. Smith, and he didn’t hedge much on where he landed.
“I believe it’s Shedeur Sanders simply because they’re going young,” McCoy said. “Todd Monken comes in, you see a video of him coming in, and he’s shaking hands with somebody. Who is it? Shedeur Sanders. They hit on the draft last year. Deshaun Watson has had every right and every opportunity to be the starter for this team, but they see what Shedeur does, and I secretly think they want Shedeur to win the job.”
Jun 11, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesJun 11, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Jun 11, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
McCoy pointed to Cleveland’s offseason moves as evidence, noting the team brought in Monken and moved on from Myles Garrett, who signed with the Los Angeles Rams, as signs the roster is trending younger. He also leaned on the numbers: Sanders started the final seven games of his rookie season once injuries opened the door, going 3-4, while Watson has appeared in just 19 games for Cleveland since 2022 across four seasons dogged by multiple Achilles injuries.
The prediction isn’t happening in a vacuum. Monken has committed to alternating first-team reps between the two quarterbacks in camp, and early practice reports have given each side something to point to. Sanders has thrown just one interception through his first five days of padded work, while Watson has thrown six in competitive drills over the same stretch, but Watson also turned in what Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot called his best day of camp yet. Both quarterbacks are expected to start separate preseason games, beginning against the Chicago Bears, before Monken nears a decision ahead of Week 1.
Shedeur Sanders Carries the Weight of Browns QB History
Sanders has been open about the pressure that comes with the job. He told Browns fans this offseason that he understands their frustration and wants to change the franchise’s history at the position, a history that has cycled through more starting quarterbacks than almost any team in the league over the past two decades.
That pressure is not just external. Sanders’ rookie season came with real warning signs to go with the promise: he threw 10 interceptions against seven touchdowns, completed 56.6 percent of his passes and posted the second-lowest QB Impact Score in the league among qualified passers, per PFN. He also played behind one of the league’s most porous protection units, facing pressure on an NFL-high 51.4 percent of his dropbacks from Week 11 on. Watson, for his part, is entering the final year of his fully guaranteed $230 million contract, still owed roughly $44.7 million on this year’s cap number regardless of who starts, which keeps the financial pressure on the decision even if the on-field battle tilts toward Sanders.
Cleveland’s opener is still several weeks away, and both quarterbacks will get their preseason audition before Monken has to commit. McCoy’s prediction adds a national spotlight to a race that, through the first week of pads, is still genuinely two-sided.
More NFL News