The Browns quarterback competition has dominated every offseason conversation in Cleveland. But instead of focusing solely on who wins the job in training camp, Mary Kay Cabot looked further down the calendar and gave her prediction about which quarterback will be under center at the end of the 2026 season.
She explained why it’s likely that Shedeur Sanders will be the one who finishes out the season.
“I think I’m going to say Shedeur Sanders. I think I’m going to go with Shedeur because, let’s say, Deshaun starts the season, depending on how things go. If he plays well, that’s great, and he’ll keep going as long as he can. We don’t know if he’s going to stay healthy. If he’s not, I think they’re going to get to their second quarterback at some point. If it’s Shedeur, I think they would just stick with him for the rest of the season if there were an injury or something like that. So if Shedeur steps in in Week 8, I think they’re going to kind of just let him play out the string like he did last year,” Cabot said.
Deshaun Watson’s health has been the recurring obstacle in his Browns tenure, and even if he opens the season as the starter, the front office and coaching staff have to plan for the very real possibility that he does not finish it.
That dynamic also puts Sanders in an interesting position. Rather than needing to win the job outright in August, his path to significant playing time may simply run through patience and readiness whenever an opportunity presents itself.
That approach makes sense from a development standpoint as well. If Sanders performs well enough during whatever window he gets, momentum alone could keep him on the field through the finish.
None of this is a guarantee. Watson opening the year as the starter does not necessarily mean he closes it, and if recent history is any indication, Sanders may be the one finishing strong in December regardless of how August shakes out.
NEXT: Analyst Highlights Biggest Difference In Shedeur Sanders This Season
