The already significant conversation about who the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback will be is only going to get louder as the season gets closer. The expected battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders has already been predicted to end with each of the respective combatants getting the job.
Some see Sanders as the unquestioned QB of the future, while general manager Andrew Berry hasn’t ruled out Watson playing well enough to earn another contract from the team. It seems that any talk about Cleveland’s quarterback for 2026 goes into the future beyond that.
Insider Jake Trotter doesn’t see it that way at all, and he shared an eye-opening take about the Browns’ QB room, saying their long-term starter isn’t even in the NFL yet.
“This is what everybody has to realize, or come to the realization at some point soon. The future quarterback of the Cleveland Browns is in college right now. I know that hurts you,” Trotter said.
"This is what everybody has to realize, or come to the realization at some point soon. The future QB of the Cleveland Browns is in college right now," – @Jake_Trotter on the Browns.
Do you agree? https://t.co/xbyTV19vrp pic.twitter.com/4ZFDcCZ376
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) April 6, 2026
That ultimately may be good news for the Browns, with Trotter also saying that the quarterback class in the 2027 NFL Draft could be one of the best in history. So, if Watson and Sanders play as poorly as they potentially could, the Browns likely would be in a very good position to draft one of those prospects.
Though Arch Manning of Texas is the likely prize coveted by Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, Cleveland could wind up with a different franchise quarterback in next year’s draft. The possible list includes Dante Moore of Oregon, Julian Sayin of Ohio State, CJ Carr of Notre Dame, Jayden Maiava of USC, and LaNorris Sellers of South Carolina.
New Browns head coach Todd Monken has waited his entire career for his chance, so he likely wants to win as many games as possible in his first year on the job. That might take the Browns out of the running for the No. 1 overall pick, but at this stage of their rebuild, it could still keep them in line for one of the other top-rated QBs.
Granted, there is always the outside chance that Sanders wins Cleveland’s starting job, plays far beyond expectations, and clearly establishes himself as a legitimate QB of the future, in which case the Browns can move forward without even having to think about who the best college quarterback might be.
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