Deshaun Watson had quieted all of the debate about who should be the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback by leading five game-winning drives before the end of October. But, as inevitably happens in the NFL, Watson suffered an injury, which gave an opportunity to Shedeur Sanders after he lost the preseason competition for the job.
Making his first start of the season this past Sunday, Sanders almost added a game-winning drive himself, falling short in a 23-22 loss to the New Orleans Saints on a failed two-point conversion pass in overtime. It was good enough to reignite talk about who the Browns’ starter should be going forward.
Cleveland reportedly was ready to announce Watson’s return as QB1 for their Week 10 game against the Houston Texans after he had been cleared from concussion protocol. But head coach Todd Monken put that off for at least one more day.
So, with the door still ajar, analyst Peter King is naming which Browns QB should start, and he is choosing Watson over Sanders.
“I’d start Watson. I think Shedeur Sanders definitely has a ceiling, at least from what I have seen of him. I don’t think it’s hopeless with him, but I think that he’s got a ceiling. I think that it’s possible, possible, that Deshaun Watson can play well enough for the Browns to make a playoff run. It’s going to be hard because the overall offensive talent really isn’t there to make a deep playoff run, but you get to January and who knows what might happen? You really need to find out whether this is it for Deshaun Watson,” King said.
“I think Shedeur Sanders definitely has a ceiling, at least from what I have seen of him.”
“I think that it's possible, possible, that Deshaun Watson can play well enough for the Browns to make a playoff run.”
➡️ Hall of Fame NFL writer and three-time National Sportswriter of… pic.twitter.com/vHsk6akQ8i
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) November 10, 2026
Sanders did not get rolling until the fourth quarter against the Saints, and almost two-thirds of his 297 total passing yards came on just four completions. But that big-play ability is what separates him from Watson and could be a valuable asset going forward.
Even though Watson has pushed the Browns into playoff contention with his late-game heroics, Watson ranks 32nd in QBR, 31st in explosive pass rate, and 34th in completion percentage over expectation, according to ESPN. So, the veteran’s ceiling may be even lower than Sanders’ is.
King also seems to be shortchanging the Browns’ “overall offensive talent.” Even though the offensive line and running game have left a lot to be desired, the receiving corps of rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, veteran Jerry Jeudy, and second-year tight end Harold Fannin Jr. each provided an explosive play against the Saints.
So, Sanders might be a better match for that personnel than Watson, which is why this debate is now likely to continue until Sanders gets another chance to prove himself worthy of the job.
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