The Cleveland Browns have yet to decide who will be their starting quarterback going into the 2026 season: Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, or somebody else? And Andrew Berry is not ready to commit just yet.

At his 2026 NFL Combine Press conference, a reporter asked him about who among Sanders and Watson would be the QB1 of the team.

The Browns General Manager replied, "Right now it's what? February 24. So we don't have to make that decision anytime soon. I think any player that we have in that room, we would expect to compete to earn a role. Those two would be no different."

The NFL mandates that training camps open about 15 days before the first preseason game. And the preseason for 2026 starts on Thursday, August 6 (with the Hall of Fame Game in Canton), the earliest possible opening date for the training camp is Monday, July 21.

This gives Browns about four months to ponder who will be their starting QB for 2026. Sanders vs Watson is a hard choice. While one is a veteran, the other is a talent they can nurture. The 3x Pro Bowler has recovered from his Achilles injury and has also started training.

Sanders, on the other hand, did show some spark in the 2025 season, throwing for more than 300 yards, 3 passing, and 1 rushing touchdown against the Titans. He became the first Browns quarterback since 1950 to record such numbers.

But Andrew Berry does not want to rush the decision. One reason might be that the Browns can even draft a QB in the 2026 NFL draft in April, observe him, and decide that he can be their starting QB ahead of Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson. The same goes for free agents.

And Berry is not closed to that idea.

An Outside Option can Replace Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson

A reporter asked the Browns' general manager if they are looking for someone outside of their already existing QB room. Andrew Berry responded with uncertainty but also positively.

"I think there's always the possibility, but we have a long way to go before we get to that point," he said. "We expect to have a competitive room, and that's important to us, but what that looks like, I can't exactly define that as we sit here today."

Malik Willis is certainly one such option. He signed a 4-year, $5.16 M rookie deal with the Titans in 2022 and was traded to the Packers in 2024, serving as backup for Jordan Love.

The contract will end in the coming months, and he will be a free agent. He comes with experience of throwing for 1,322 yards and 6 touchdowns in 22 career games.

What do you think about him? Any other recommendations?

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Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Joyita Das