The case in support of the Cleveland Browns making Shedeur Sanders their starting quarterback for this season has almost as much to do with what he’ll be able to do in the seasons that follow. The line of thinking suggests that the Browns need to give Sanders as much of a chance as possible in 2026 to see if he deserves the job in 2027 and beyond.
It’s not the strongest basis for making someone an NFL starting quarterback, particularly for a franchise that just completed two seasons with eight wins combined. Waiting at least one more year for on-field success may be too much to bear, especially for a first-time NFL head coach.
So far, in the very early stages of the competition between Sanders and Deshaun Watson, the veteran seems to be the predicted choice of traditional media reporters. Meanwhile, most fans are holding out hope that Sanders will be given the job.
WWE wrestler Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, who is from the Cleveland suburbs, is strongly in the latter group, and he has made Sanders his pick as the Browns’ starting QB.
“I know a lot of people are going, ‘Oh, Watson might be back.’ We don’t need him. I don’t want him. I want Shedeur. I want to give Shedeur the entire season and see what we have in him. Let’s give Shedeur a chance to be a franchise player because I feel he has taken Cleveland as his community. Whenever someone comes into Cleveland, you have to represent Cleveland, and I feel like he’s been doing that,” Mizanin said.
Fans are likely to have a much stronger negative reaction toward Watson than analysts do, simply because of how monumentally he has let them down since arriving in a trade from the Houston Texans in March 2022. With a lengthy NFL suspension and season-ending injuries limiting him to 19 appearances out of a possible 68 games, he is still on the team only due to his prohibitive contract.
Yet, even key members of the organization, such as owner Jimmy Haslam, executive JW Johnson, and general manager Andrew Berry, have all made a case that Watson deserves support to be the starter this season. After watching Watson last play in the 2024 season, even the non-Sanders supporters among the fan base could find it difficult to take.
Fortunately, if it all blows up again at quarterback for the Browns this season, they should have access to several talented prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft, which could really be the start of truly brighter days for the franchise.
NEXT: Insider Explains Why Shedeur Sanders Might Be Frustrated Right Now
