A lot of reports suggest that it’s a two-man race for the position of starting quarterback with the Cleveland Browns. Shedeur Sanders still wants the job, but he may lose out on it to Deshaun Watson. Speaking on ESPN Cleveland, Tony Grossi dug into what Sanders can do to overtake Watson.
According to him, Sanders’ hands are mostly tied, but there is a path for him if he shows improvement over Watson when they are in pads and facing a pass rush.
“There’s very little he can do to overtake him now in shorts because Watson’s not going to fall back. The key factor is pass rush. There will be times in training camp where Monken allows his pass rush to disrupt, so I think that’s when the competition will really hit the next stage, and Shedeur can overtake him then, but not until then,” Grossi said.
What does Shedeur Sanders have to do to overtake Deshaun Watson in the QB competition? @TonyGrossi breaks it down… https://t.co/BnKhZycUGw pic.twitter.com/OhuCKAbN55
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 22, 2026
For Sanders fans, it’s great to hear that he still has a way forward and an opportunity to be the starting quarterback in the new season. But this isn’t an easy path, and sometimes it feels more and more like Watson has the better shot of being the team’s starter.
Sanders did a good job of building chemistry with his teammates last year, so he has that going for him. And he has the support of millions of fans who believe he could be the future.
But Watson has more experience, and it’s no surprise he is looking better during practice sessions. Sanders can still make the most out of training camp and possibly take a huge leap.
It could be his best and last shot at becoming the team’s starting quarterback in 2026.
NEXT: 3 Key Browns Players Given Encouraging Projections In 2026
