Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders raised some eyebrows earlier this week when he announced that he signed with an agency for the first time. The timing was too unusual to be a coincidence, and it now has fans wondering what’s next for the young QB.
Deshaun Watson has surpassed expectations and has this team in a position to take over first place in the AFC North on Sunday in a crucial matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, who won’t have Lamar Jackson for a second straight week. With Sanders now having representation and Watson playing well, it’s no surprise the trade rumors are starting to swirl, but one analyst recently floated a different timeline.
Adam Gerstenhaber of Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show isn’t buying the idea that Watson’s job is now secure. In a recent episode, he pondered if Watson is still one bad performance away from Sanders taking over.
“If he’s terrible in this game, I would think about going to Shedeur Sanders for Game 7,” Gerstenhaber said.
Could Sunday be Deshaun Watson's last start for the #Browns? 👀🏈
“If he’s terrible in this game, I would think about going to Shedeur Sanders for game 7.” — @adamthebull
Bull believes a poor performance against the #Ravens could open the door for Shedeur, with a more favorable… pic.twitter.com/adq2JXbL1P
— Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show (@ultCLEsports) October 16, 2026
This is a bit of a bold statement to make when Watson is a huge reason why the Browns have been such a surprise so far. He didn’t have the best performance in the Week 5 loss at the New York Jets, but the sloppy weather conditions, the eight sacks, and abysmal drops from Isaiah Bond didn’t help matters either. Nobody placed that loss solely on Watson, so he should have a longer leash by now and shouldn’t be one bad game away from losing his job.
Naming Watson the starter was a controversial decision, but it’s becoming clearer by the week why the Browns did it. Todd Monken has this team trending in the right direction and has Watson looking more competent and confident than he has in years. He is also protecting the ball, which was a significant issue throughout camp and preseason, and unless he throws four or five picks on Sunday, it’s tough to see an argument for why Sanders should take his job at this point.
This quarterback situation is far from ideal, but Watson has been a net positive through five games. He has even restored some confidence from this fan base and it would be surprising if he didn’t give his Browns a chance to win again on Sunday.
NEXT: 4 Browns Players Questionable For Ravens Game
