Deshaun Watson had the lead in the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback competition. However, more recently, spectators around him are starting to question their confidence in him. As Shedeur Sanders is closing in on him, Jeremy Fowler has rung alarm bells for him. 

“The nuance of it, the decision-making and all that stuff, I would say what was told to me is Deshaun was the clear favorite going in, but Shedeur has closed that gap somewhat,” the ESPN reporter said. “If I had to put a favorite on it, based on my pulse around the league, it would be Deshaun Watson, but Shedeur has made it interesting.”

He made his take known in a conversation with Tony Rizzo on ESPN Cleveland.  He joined the segment on June 1 to discuss who is leading the Browns QB race — a question that remains unanswered heading into Week 1 of the 2026 season.

This season is Watson’s last chance to prove that he is not the “swing-and-a-miss” trade franchise owner Jimmy Haslam called him to be. The Browns traded the 30-year-old from the Houston Texans in 2022 in high hopes. 

Watson led the league with 4,832 passing yards in 2020. The Browns brought him in for five years with a contract worth $230 million. But the past four years have not fared well for the Browns. Firstly, Watson never played in all 19 games in a season. In fact, he played in just 19 games.

Watson tallied just 3,365 passing yards and 19 touchdowns since 2022. He sat out the 2025 season entirely after sustaining a ruptured Achilles in October 2024. He has now returned this offseason with just one goal in mind: a comeback worth remembering. 

To regain his status as the Browns QB1, he must regain his lead and eventually win against Sanders, their sophomore quarterback. The two-man race has left everyone picking sides, and one scout has favored Sanders. 

Shedeur Sanders to start Week 1, per an NFL scout

An NFC scout, who remained anonymous, spoke to Heavy Sports and shared his take on the Cleveland Browns situation. He opined that Shedeur Sanders is set to start this season. 

“Cleveland needs to figure out what it has in Sanders,” the June 2 article read. “They already know what Watson is and it hasn’t been good. Even if he were to bounce back from the Achilles injury, Watson isn’t a long-term option for the Browns.” 

He then gave a reason why sticking to Sanders would benefit the Browns in decision-making in the long run.

“Personally, I think Shedeur will be given the starting job. They are going to need to make a decision in the 2027 NFL Draft about whether or not they need to pursue a quarterback. Giving Sanders a full season would be the best way to figure out that answer,” Evan Massey wrote. 

What are your thoughts on this situation? Who will win this race? Tell us in the comments.

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar