Fans of the Cleveland Browns don’t need anyone to tell them how dire their quarterback situation is. Most of them are already in an uproar with Deshaun Watson as their starter ahead of Shedeur Sanders, but neither one of them realistically should inspire much confidence.
When Watson last played almost two years ago, he was one of the worst QBs in the league. That perception has not changed, even after he showed some encouraging signs at practice in his return from an Achilles injury.
Sanders’ status also remains murky after he was unable to beat out someone with Watson’s dubious credentials. His loyal supporters believe all he needs is a fair chance, conveniently ignoring that he was also one of the worst-rated quarterbacks while making seven starts as a rookie last season.
That is why the national consensus on the Browns’ QBs isn’t encouraging, to say the least, with almost every ranking placing Watson and Sanders near the bottom of any list.
“Most ‘experts’ view the Browns quarterback as one of the worst in the NFL. I can cite several stories and analytic studies. They virtually all rank Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders at or near the bottom of possible NFL starting QBs for 2026,” Terry Pluto wrote.
Earlier this offseason, CBS Sports ranked Watson as the worst potential starting quarterback in the league. More recently, The Athletic conducted a poll of 50 NFL coaches and executives, with Sanders placing last among the 35 ranked quarterbacks, and Watson at No. 31.
So, with that in mind, Monken may have indeed made the slightly better choice in naming Watson as Cleveland’s starter. But any Browns fan who watched his pedestrian performances in the preseason, then listened to his comments about them, has to be prepared for the worst.
One line of thinking suggests that Watson is the starter because it will be easier to replace him with Sanders than it would have been the other way around. The fact that the discussion of that scenario even exists should tell you all you need to know about the Browns’ current QB situation.
That is why many people are already looking ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft, where Cleveland is likely to be able to add a first-round prospect who can hopefully solve this problem once and for all.
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