The Cleveland Browns quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders has generated plenty of debate this offseason, and now a former NFL player is weighing in with a strong opinion on which direction the timing actually favors. Ben DiNucci, who spent time in the league as a quarterback himself, believes the current circumstances line up perfectly for Sanders to seize control of the job, and his reasoning goes beyond just last season’s finish.
DiNucci pointed to both the demands of the modern quarterback position and Watson’s recent injury history as factors working in Sanders’ favor.
“It’s gonna sound cliché, but I think it’s perfect timing for Shedeur Sanders. When you talk about the quarterback position in today’s NFL and what the athlete has to look like and what they’re required to do in the pocket, this is no knock against Deshaun Watson, but he’s coming off of two Achilles surgeries. I just think, for Shedeur Sanders, new coaching staff, Todd Monken comes into town, if you can show fairly early in this training camp that you’ve made a big jump from Year 1 to summer to training camp that you can be the guy, I think that says a lot in terms of who’s gonna find their way to QB1,” DiNucci said.
.@B_DiNucci6 believes it's the perfect timing for Shedeur Sanders to lead the Cleveland Browns 👀 pic.twitter.com/V1B4S8GziZ
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) July 24, 2026
Watson’s health remains a legitimate concern for Cleveland heading into camp. Recovering from two Achilles surgeries is no small hurdle for any player, let alone a quarterback who relies on mobility as part of his game. Sanders, by comparison, enters this camp healthy and now has a full offseason under a new coaching staff to build on the flashes he showed during his rookie season.
That rookie season ended on a high note, with Sanders leading Cleveland to wins in each of his final two starts. Not everyone views that stretch as proof he is ready to be the long-term answer, and plenty of voices around the Browns have pushed back on the idea that two strong games settle anything.
With Todd Monken now fully in charge of building this offense his own way, how quickly Sanders can show growth from where he left off last season will determine his outcome in this quarterback battle. Training camp reps will start providing real answers soon, and DiNucci clearly believes the circumstances are lining up in Sanders’ favor heading into it.
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