The Cleveland Browns are, yet again, facing a quarterback dilemma heading into the 2026 NFL season. New head coach Todd Monken hasn’t come close to naming a starter, and barring a surprise addition, the role seems to be a two-horse race between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson.
Both players come with their own strengths and weaknesses, and the Browns’ coaching staff will have to choose between the lesser of two evils in that sense. Fans have given their input on this situation over the past few months, and to this point, it seems like they’re split on what the team should do.
Former Browns CB Joe Haden has a clear opinion on who the Browns should move forward with, which he detailed to Kay Adams on the Up & Adams Show.
“Shedeur, go out there, continue to ball, continue to do better as far as executing your footwork in the pocket, being able to go in there and understand coverages. Just do your best job because right now, you’re in a fight for the starting quarterback position. They haven’t done any padded practice. This is all still Underwear Olympics. Shedeur started last year. I think that’s his only one leg up. You ended the season as the starting quarterback, and you weren’t doing badly. I saw the ball going down the field. You showed me that you could be the starting quarterback. I’d like it if they would’ve had Shedeur continue to start,” Haden said.
Is it possible for Deshaun Watson to get a fresh start in Cleveland?
Joe Haden says he'd like QB Shedeur Sanders to be the Browns starter on Week 1 @joehaden23 | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/uh3mSGId9y
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) May 6, 2026
As Haden mentioned, Sanders might have a slight advantage over Watson at the moment, given the fact that he’s played meaningful NFL snaps more recently. Watson missed all of the 2025 campaign due to injury, and while his rehab is promising, there’s no telling what he’ll actually look like when he gets on the field.
Watson was an MVP candidate at one point in his career, but considering his injury history and off-field issues, there are a lot of unknowns surrounding him that give Haden hesitation. Sanders is a lot younger, and his athleticism showed last year, even though he didn’t always make the best decisions.
With that said, plenty of young quarterbacks have struggled early on in their careers, only to turn things around and become bona fide superstars as the years go on. Josh Allen is a prime example of that, as his accuracy was not good in his first few seasons, but with the right coaching and a team that believed in him, he got the time to grow and develop, turning into the player we know today.
It will be interesting to see if Sanders gets that chance, or if the Browns will be too impatient and in desperation mode to stick with him.
NEXT: Analyst Shuts Down Narrative About Browns' QB Competition
