The Cleveland Browns have a large question looming over them, and it seems only to get bigger: who will be the team’s starting quarterback in 2026?
We still don’t have an answer to that, but it’s obviously come down to Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson. One brings youthful energy and potential, while the other brings experience but a lot of controversy. More and more people are starting to assume that it’ll be the latter who comes out on top in the battle for QB1.
Writing for Bleacher Report, Gary Davenport predicted that Watson would be the team’s final choice for starting quarterback.
“Projected Winner: Watson,” Davenport wrote. “At this point, many Browns fans simply want the Watson era, which has been mired in controversy and disappointment, to be over. But Monken had no part in any of that mess; his job is to win games in 2026. And if Watson is healthy, he gives the Browns the best chance to do that. It’s been a while, but Watson has shown that he can be a capable NFL starter. Sanders gave no such indication as a rookie.”
It’s interesting because Todd Monken is coming to Cleveland to create a fresh start for the team. However, he may be relying on a player who has plenty of baggage.
Watson has seen a bunch of negative headlines for his off-field choices, but his contract and history of injuries have created a bad taste in the mouths of many Browns fans. As noted by Davenport, there are plenty of Browns followers who are ready to say goodbye to him.
When Monken was hired, he said he had a singular goal for the team: find a way to bring more wins in 2026. It doesn’t matter who helps make that happen; Monken is going to favor them.
If the Browns announce that Watson is the team’s starting QB, they’ll receive plenty of backlash. Some will say the team made the wrong choice and is giving up on Sanders before he really proves what he can do.
But they will likely change their tune if Watson takes to the field and helps the Browns win a lot more in 2026. The buzz around Watson has been growing.
A few months ago, the chances of him being QB1 seemed slim, but now it sounds like he could be the clear frontrunner.
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