The undercard for the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition is being waged among those predicting its outcome. Coming out of a recent three-day voluntary minicamp, traditional media members have placed Deshaun Watson clearly in the lead, which has disappointed and angered Shedeur Sanders’ supporters, and maybe even the QB himself.
As the incumbent starting quarterback, and the more realistic potential long-term solution, some people believe Sanders should have been given the job right away from new head coach Todd Monken. Others point to Sanders’ lack of experience and disappointing play as a rookie as reasons Watson is the better candidate.
NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms, a former NFL quarterback, recently gave an eye-opening take about the Browns’ QB battle, calling Watson a “special specimen.”
“Here we are a few years later, [Deshaun Watson] hasn’t played a lot of football, but he’s in a competition with a guy who hasn’t played a lot of football, and we know had some growing to do when he got into the league anyways, and had some moments last year, but certainly didn’t do enough to where you just go, ‘Yeah, he’s the starter going forward. Just hand it over to him.’ No. We’ve just got to remember that Deshaun Watson, when healthy, is a special specimen. I’m not shocked to hear this. This is a real quarterback battle, and Deshaun Watson, if he’s healthy, yes. He’s got an arm and is a damn good athlete, as we know,” Simms said.
Based on several noteworthy factors, including an NFL suspension, sexual assault allegations, and multiple season-ending injuries, Watson is far removed from the Pro Bowl quarterback he was with the Houston Texans. In playing just 19 of 68 possible games since he arrived with the Browns in 2022, the 30-year-old has never shown he can reach that level of performance again.
Interestingly, many insiders believe that Watson has a better chance to regain his previous form than Sanders does of developing into a successful NFL quarterback. Simms did reveal some of his bias when he suggested that the negative perception of Sanders extends off the field, with a recent troublesome exchange between his brother and beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot as the latest example.
Though that may be accurate, it does overlook Watson’s much more egregious past and the fact that he hasn’t played in an NFL game since October 2024. There is no reason to believe he should be handed the job, either, which is why there is an open competition in the first place.
So, those who want to put Watson in the lead after his first practices in almost 18 months may have an even bigger agenda than Sanders’ contingent of fans, which is something worth considering as the outcome is determined over the next few months.
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