CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Browns quarterback competition is officially heating up, with Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot delivering the bombshell assessment that Deshaun Watson and rising star Shedeur Sanders are “neck and neck” in the race to start Week 1.

In a revealing discussion on Orange and Brown Talk, Cabot sent shockwaves through the Browns fanbase with her candid breakdown of the quarterback situation heading into 2026.

“I was asked on the radio this morning, what percent chance do I think Deshaun Watson has of starting the opener? And I said 40% right now,” Cabot revealed. “I think right now that it would probably be 40 for Shedeur, 40 for Deshaun and 20 for someone else. So I think those two guys heading into this whole thing are probably kind of running neck and neck.”

The assessment marks a dramatic shift in perception around Sanders, who began 2025 as a developmental prospect but ended the season having shown flashes of potential stardom in limited opportunities. What’s particularly intriguing about Sanders’ case for the starting job is his apparent possession of what new head coach Todd Monken values most in a quarterback.

“I think another thing that we haven’t talked a bunch about yet is the fact that Todd Monken mentioned the ‘it factor’ when he is looking for traits in a quarterback,” Cabot explained. “And I think that’s one thing that Shedeur established last year. I think he showed that he has the ‘it factor,’ that he gets in the zone when the game is on the line and he’s aggressive and he’s accurate for the most part and he’s tough.”

The podcast highlighted three specific games where Sanders demonstrated this clutch gene: his debut against Baltimore, where he nearly led a comeback despite early struggles; a near-miss against Tennessee where he was inexplicably removed for a critical two-point conversion; and the season finale victory over Cincinnati where he orchestrated the game-winning drive.

Beyond his composure in big moments, Sanders brings one elite skill that makes him particularly compelling as a potential starter: his exceptional ball placement.

“But one of the things that he does really, really well is fit that ball into some really tight windows and put it on the money. And you can’t always coach that in the NFL,” Cabot emphasized. “Shedeur brings that with him into the pros. The uncanny accuracy, he already has that. And I’ve heard some people say that they think it is the number one trait to have in a quarterback.”

What makes this competition especially fascinating is the contrast between Sanders’ proven accuracy and clutch performance versus the questions surrounding Watson’s physical recovery from multiple injuries. After two Achilles surgeries, Watson’s mobility — once a defining feature of his game — remains a significant unknown.

The podcast also noted Sanders’ surprising elusiveness, which exceeded pre-draft expectations. “He’s so much more sneaky and elusive than I thought he was going to be. He’s so much more elusive to be able to slide away from some of those sacks,” Cabot observed, adding another dimension to Sanders’ case for the starting role.

Of course, Sanders will face new challenges in 2026 as defensive coordinators develop more comprehensive gameplans against him, but his natural instincts and ability to perform under pressure give him a legitimate shot at winning the job.

Want to hear the full breakdown of this fascinating quarterback battle and why Sanders might be ready to take the reins of the Browns’ offense? Listen to the complete episode of Orange and Brown Talk for Mary Kay and Dan’s in-depth analysis of what promises to be one of the most compelling quarterback competitions in the NFL.

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