The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition remains one of the more genuinely unresolved battles heading into training camp across the entire league, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shared new insight this week into exactly how the organization views the situation after wrapping up its offseason program. Rather than treating the competition as effectively decided, Fowler suggests Cleveland’s coaching staff still wants a much larger sample size before making any real determination between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.
“I’m hearing that the Browns walked away from the offseason going into camp saying, ‘We need to see more.’ Shedeur Sanders had a nice late surge at the end of OTAs and minicamp. Closed the gap a little bit. Most people around the league still say that Deshaun Watson is the favorite. He’ll be well positioned for this. I think Todd Monken is gonna go into training camp action and some preseason game action to figure out who his starter is. He just wants to see them in different scenarios, playing 11 man football, maybe taking some hits. Who responds? This is a true camp battle, maybe more so than some of the others,” Fowler said.
"We need to see more."
—@JFowlerESPN on what the Browns are saying about the QB battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders heading into camp👀⛺️ pic.twitter.com/Bumlv0lGCC
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 23, 2026
Offseason practices, no matter how competitive, cannot fully replicate the physical toll and unpredictability of real football once contact and full team reps enter the equation. That distinction matters significantly given the extensive injury history that has followed Watson throughout his tenure in Cleveland, since spring practices offer little insight into how his body responds to sustained physical contact across a real training camp schedule.
Sanders, meanwhile, enters this stretch with the added pressure of needing to build on his late offseason momentum in a much more demanding environment. Closing a gap during no contact spring workouts is one thing, but sustaining that progress once pads come on and preseason games begin will offer a far more accurate picture of where he truly stands against a veteran with Watson’s track record.
With training camp now underway and preseason games on the horizon, Cleveland finally has the opportunity to gather the additional information Monken and his staff have made clear they need before determining which quarterback gives them the best chance to succeed in 2026.
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