The Cleveland Browns are set to open the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. After a long quarterback battle throughout camp, the Browns have decided to go with Deshaun Watson to open the season.
The expectation is that Shedeur Sanders will get his chance to start at some point, but that exact timetable is unknown. Former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner believes that Sanders might actually start more games for the Browns than some people might think.
“I’m gonna say Shedeur Sanders [starts more games than Fernando Mendoza] because of the team and because of how it starts. You know that there’s been a lot of struggles with Deshaun Watson, and you know I’ve talked about his lack of ability to see the field and play the game has been glaring since he’s been in Cleveland, and I just don’t know how that’s going to change. I saw some more of that in the preseason. I don’t know how that’s going to change. So, I think this thing could turn to Shedeur fairly early in the season and give him a chance to prove if he can be that guy before this quarterback class that’s coming in next year. I believe when you’re talking about more games, I think Shedeur will have his chance earlier in the season. If I got to go Week 3, I’m gonna go Shedeur. Two games on the road. Coming back to Cleveland after everything that’s gone down with Deshaun. If things don’t go well early, I think they could make a change that quickly in the season,” Warner said.
Many Browns fans don’t want to see Watson start, but the organization is going to give him a chance. The veteran quarterback hasn’t taken a snap in a regular season game since 2024. However, the Browns owe him over $40 million this season, so they might as well see if he has anything left in the tank.
Watson looked decent in the preseason, but as Warner mentioned, there are glaring holes in Watson’s game. The 30-year-old clearly isn’t the same player that started his career with the Houston Texans. After multiple injuries and the off-the-field issues, Browns fans are basically done with Watson.
Luckily, fans might only need to suffer for a few games before Sanders finally gets his chance. If Watson is truly as bad as everyone thinks, Sanders could get his chance to start for the home opener in Week 3. The Browns just need to play Watson long enough to show he isn’t a viable option, so they can justify benching him and his 40-plus million dollar contract.
Given the circumstances, there is a good chance that Sanders will start more games than Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza this upcoming season. The Browns need to give Sanders a real chance to prove what he can do before they decide to draft a quarterback in next year’s draft. The organization needs to see what they have in Sanders, and it wouldn’t be shocking if we see Sanders starting games for the Browns by October.
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