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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders will have to compete with Deshaun Watson.
The Cleveland Browns will not be handed to Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson appears to be gaining legitimate momentum as a viable option under new head coach Todd Monken.
The Browns will have Watson, Sanders and Dillon Gabriel under contract for next season. When asked about the starting quarterback next season, Monken said it’s “to be determined.”
Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot sees it as a two-horse race between Watson and Sanders, with both passers having equal odds.
“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 said. “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.”
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Feels He Can ‘Dominate’ After Rookie Year
Sanders has never lacked confidence. He went 3-4 in his seven starts, passing for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Despite a roller coaster rookie year, the former Colorado star feels like his best football is ahead of him.
“You can see it. It’s kind of like mastering how to get to that place all the time,” Sanders said on Up & Adams. “You have flashes. That’s the most thing I appreciate about this year is that I proved to myself, I’m able to dominate the league. But I’m able to take completions, I’m able to put all of that together, and definitely in games, we have flashes, but I know I’m capable of doing that. Now, to do it on a consistent basis, that’s what the goal is. But for me in this past season, that’s what proved to myself. No matter what happened, no matter anything that transpired, you are able to go out there and compete.”
Sanders slipped from a projected first-round pick to the fifth round. After being buried on the depth chart, he earned the starting role and was named a Pro Bowl replacement to cap his first season.
Browns HC Todd Monken ‘Intrigued’ by Deshaun Watson
Watson has played just 19 games since being traded to the Browns in 2022 due to a lengthy suspension and injuries. He missed all of last season recovering from a pair of Achilles surgeries. He returned to practice for a three-week period in December but was not activated to the 53-man roster.
Watson clearly has the experience edge over Sanders and his Pro Bowl past with the Houston Texans is something that has Monken intrigued.
“You’ve got two young players that still have a long way to go in terms of development, and that’s part of the learning curve in the NFL,” Monken said of Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. “And then you’ve got a player like Deshaun, who’s coming back from injury and at one time was a Pro Bowl player, and an elite player in this league, that we would love to tap back into that.”
Watson is heading into the final year of his contract. This season is likely his last chance to revive his career.
J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where he has covered the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. His work focuses on some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, including reporting on the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. More about J.R. DeGroote
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