The quarterback competition in Cleveland is a complicated situation, and Ken Carman of 92.3 The Fan laid out the uncomfortable truth that nobody in this organization wants to say out loud.
Carman addressed the elephant in the room on his show with Anthony Lima and delivered a sobering reality check about what it actually means if Deshaun Watson wins the starting job and plays well this season.
“If he goes out and plays well, we’ve got a whole new set of circumstances because I don’t think he’s gonna want to be here,” Carman said.
"If he goes out and plays well, we've got a whole new set of circumstances because I don't think he's gonna want to be here."
🏈@KenCarman doesn't believe Deshaun Watson wants to stay in Cleveland past this season pic.twitter.com/ao4lNuX2e5
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) May 21, 2026
The history between Watson and Cleveland is one of the most painful and complicated chapters in franchise history. He was brought in with enormous expectations and an unprecedented fully guaranteed contract, played a limited amount of games due to injuries and suspensions, and watched his reputation in this city deteriorate with each setback. He has been booed loudly at home. He has been the subject of endless criticism.
For Watson, a fresh start somewhere else makes perfect sense from his perspective. He is 30 years old and entering what could be his final chance to rehabilitate his legacy as a starting quarterback.
This is exactly why the argument for starting Shedeur Sanders becomes even more compelling when you look at the full picture. If Watson plays poorly, the Browns lose games and Sanders sits. If Watson plays well, he leaves anyway and the Browns are back in the same position they were in before the offseason started. Either outcome leaves Cleveland without a definitive answer on their young quarterback and without Watson in 2027.
The only outcome that actually moves this franchise forward is Sanders playing well enough to earn the job, proving he can be the answer, and giving Cleveland the kind of foundational quarterback stability that the organization has been chasing for decades.
The Browns need to know what they have in Sanders. They have built the entire roster around finding out. And if Watson is likely to walk regardless of the outcome, then the case for giving Sanders every opportunity to prove himself from week one has never been stronger.
The feeling may well be mutual between Watson and Cleveland. And if it is, the Browns have every reason to stop treating this like an open competition and start treating it like what it actually is. An evaluation of their franchise quarterback of the future.
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