As Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders continue to battle it out in Cleveland Browns training camp for the honor of starting at quarterback in Week 1, it’s starting to look like Watson is going to get first crack at the job regardless of how he has performed in camp. He is approaching double-digit interceptions in camp, but the organization is determined to see if he can make good on this contract one final time before moving on, and ultimately there is no reason to rush Sanders since he is just heading into his second year.
There is still time for things to change since each QB will have a preseason start to prove themselves, but Watson’s mobility plays well on paper in Todd Monken’s offense and could be one of the determining factors in the decision. Dillon Gabriel has been making some noise as well, but ESPN’s Tony Grossi recently projected what he believes the depth chart will look like, and it would be tough to disagree with him at this point.
Grossi believes the depth chart is going to unfold exactly how most have expected over the past few months. During a recent episode of The Really Big Show on ESPN Cleveland, he predicted Watson ends up as the starter, followed by Sanders, Gabriel, and rookie Taylen Green landing on the practice squad.
“I’m gonna say Watson ends up being the starter. Shedeur ends up being the backup. Gabriel is third. Taylen Green ends up on the practice squad,” Grossi said.
.@TonyGrossi’s current Browns QB depth chart prediction for week 1:
1. Deshaun Watson
2. Shedeur Sanders
3. Dillon Gabriel
Taylen Green – Practice SquadDo you agree? pic.twitter.com/4PY3s4hE90
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) August 12, 2026
If this is how things unfold, the trade rumors are going to heat up again. The Browns had four quarterbacks competing for last year’s job, and that ended up with Kenny Pickett getting traded before the season started and Joe Flacco getting traded just weeks into the season. It wouldn’t be shocking if Gabriel or Sanders found themselves elsewhere in a few weeks for similar reasons.
Perhaps the Browns’ sneaky plan is to showcase Watson for a trade like they did with Flacco. Surely they would love to finally move on from this era and get out from under his contract in some capacity, though even if he plays well, it would be shocking to see another team take on the bulk of the remaining money owed to him.
This depth chart has been the obvious outcome for a long time, though many had hoped Sanders could show enough to convince Monken to give him the nod. It’s also not the end of the world if he doesn’t start right away because Watson hasn’t started a full season’s worth of games since 2020. He has played 19 games since then, so the likelihood of him making 17 starts in 2026 is quite slim.
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