Report: Watson emerges as favorite to be Browns' starter over Sanders
Deshaun Watson has the inside track to be the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback in 2026 over Shedeur Sanders, sources told Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot.
Watson and Sanders both attended Cleveland's voluntary minicamp last week, marking the beginning of a two-man quarterback competition after the club hired Todd Monken as head coach this year.
The two passers split starting reps on Day 1 of the Browns' voluntary minicamp, but Watson took most of the main reps on the second day, including in the red zone and two-minute drill, sources told Cabot.
Monken reportedly hopes to name his QB1 by the end of the Browns' mandatory minicamp, which takes place June 9-11.
Watson has 72 NFL starts under his belt but missed the entire 2025 season due to an Achilles injury. Cleveland mostly struggled at QB last year and started three different passers, including Sanders, who made seven starts as a fifth-round rookie. The 24-year-old averaged only 175 passing yards per game while completing 56.6% of his passes for seven touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
Watson, 30, earned three Pro Bowl berths in four seasons as a member of the Houston Texans to start his NFL career. However, he hasn't replicated that success in Cleveland, ranking 55th in EPA/play among quarterbacks from 2022-24, according to rbsdm.com.
Cleveland's QB depth chart also includes Dillon Gabriel and sixth-round rookie Taylen Green.