The Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback job is still up for grabs. Deshaun Watson may hold the early lead, but Shedeur Sanders is keeping the pressure on.

Both Watson and Sanders are engrossed in the OTAs and getting maximum reps. An NFL analyst weighed in with the opinion that while Watson appears to lead the race, the QB competition is far from over. 

“Shedeur Sanders is a guy who’s a gamer. He thrives in those situations and those environments,” said Spencer German of Roundtable Sports.

“There’s still some missing pieces here in terms of what this is really gonna look like when the full team is there, when they’re actually able to tackle,” added German. “We know with Deshaun Watson, it’s always been about what it looks like on the field on game day...He should look like the best quarterback right now.”

German shared his opinion that it remains to be seen how Watson performs during an actual game on the field. He expressed more confidence in Sanders’ playmaking abilities on the field. 

The Browns’ offensive coordinator, Travis Switzer, appreciated the progress of both Watson and Sanders after the OTA on Wednesday.

"We're making good progress," Switzer said. "We're off to a good start. I think the guys are starting to get a little more comfortable with the system, which is great."

Switzer concluded by saying that while both QBs are doing well and progressing, he doesn’t know which one, between Sanders and Watson, has gone ahead of the other. The Browns’ head coach, Todd Monken, echoed the same thoughts on the QB1 battle. 

Shedeur Sanders Gets Hyped Up by Todd Monken Amid QB1 Battle

The Cleveland Browns’ head coach, Todd Monken, had good things to say about Sanders, who’s competing for the QB1 spot. 

“Shedeur has come miles in terms of his progressions, getting the ball out, his understanding of concepts,” said Monken to reporters. “I think he’s come a really, really long way.”

However, when asked about the lead in the QB1 race, Monken said that they’ll continue to rotate the guys and play the best players. But he hopes to declare QB1 before training camp.

"You'd love to have it at every position at the end of spring, but you can't guarantee that," Monken said. "We'll have it set for Jacksonville [in Week 1]."

The narrative leans towards Watson becoming the QB1 for the Browns, as per NFL insider Jeremy Fowler.

However, given the progress of Sanders from the voluntary minicamp in April to the OTAs in May, there’s still some hope that the decision could be flipped in Sanders’ favor.

Who do you want as QB1 for the Browns this season? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Naomi Grace

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore