When Deshaun Watson was paid exorbitant amounts of money last season to rehab his torn Achilles, most fans assumed that the organization was just counting down the days until his contract finally ran out. After a sudden change of heart from the powers that be and Watson’s return to health this offseason, suddenly he now has the inside track to be the starting quarterback perhaps for one final time in 2026.
It’s hard to believe this is the timeline Browns fans are watching, but Watson is fully entrenched in a QB battle with Shedeur Sanders for Week 1 duties. Sanders has reportedly made the competition close with some impressive OTA sessions of late, but Watson has made some noticeable improvements as well, which legendary left tackle Joe Thomas has noticed.
During a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Thomas spoke about Watson currently having the leg up in the QB competition.
“He looks pretty healthy coming off that Achilles tear that he had and I think the experience that he has playing football. The arm looks like it’s still there. The legs look like they’ve come back. I think Deshaun right now just gives that offense a little bit more versatility to be able to open things up and be more dynamic and I think he’ll probably be the guy,” said Thomas.
If there’s a chance Watson can play close to the level he showed during his days with the Houston Texans, the Browns have to start him. That’s probably a ceiling Sanders isn’t capable of reaching at the moment, and if Watson plays well as the starter, it even opens up the opportunity for a potential trade just like the Browns did last season when they traded Joe Flacco after starting the first few games.
Todd Monken’s offense stands to operate better when there is a mobile quarterback under center, as Lamar Jackson made abundantly clear during Monken’s tenure with the Baltimore Ravens. If Watson’s mobility is back, it provides a much-needed weapon that the offense hasn’t had in recent years.
There is still plenty of time remaining if Monken doesn’t yet know who the starter is going to be, but it would be a surprise if it wasn’t Watson at this point. Thomas’ viewpoint should be as reliable as anybody’s, and we’ll see sooner than later whether or not he is correct.
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