The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition is about to reach a fever pitch as Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders will try to make their best case during training camp. Over the next month, the Browns will make a decision that can have major ramifications well beyond this season.
If Todd Monken’s delay in naming the starter really means the battle isn’t already over, it should take into account what is best for the franchise in the long run while also trying to compete in 2026. It’s a difficult balancing act that has no easy answer.
Browns legend Hanford Dixon recently made his case for the Browns’ starting QB, preferring Sanders because Watson won’t be here in 2027.
“I think Shedeur is the guy that should be the quarterback because what are we gonna do? We’re gonna play Watson, and then he’s gonna have a few good games? Then, what are we gonna do? Sign him to a new contract? I’m not saying anything bad about him, but I just think we have to find out what we have in Shedeur and then just go from there,” Dixon said.
Browns legend @HanfordDixon29 is CONVINCED that Shedeur Sanders needs to start Week 1. Do you agree? #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/3izq4amFc0
— BIGPLAY Cleveland (@BIGPLAYcle) July 28, 2026
This makes sense for several reasons. If Watson was so obviously the better choice for this season, he likely would have been named the starter by now. Instead, Sanders has shown enough improvement in his game that starting him over the veteran isn’t as harmful to this year’s chances as it may have looked coming out of his seven uninspiring starts as a rookie.
So, the risk-reward factor is not as great as it once was. If the Browns do start Watson and he plays well, they will be forced to give him an “inconceivable” new contract or risk losing him as a free agent coming off his first real success in five seasons with the team.
If that were to occur, Sanders would still be on the roster without any true idea of what he could be capable of going forward. That would make things even more complicated heading into next season with a new first-round QB likely arriving in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The upside of playing Watson over Sanders may be greater, but its shelf life is extremely limited. About to turn 31 years old in September, he likely would be in sharp decline at the same time the Browns’ young talent is coming into its own.
As a prohibitive long shot to win the AFC North, it might be best for the Browns to face that reality sooner rather than later.
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