The Cleveland Browns' quarterback battle is heating up before the upcoming season. Between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, the decision is yet to be made on who will be the QB1.

However, it appears that one passer is leading the starter role early in the OTAs. Tony Grossi of ESPN reported this week that Deshaun Watson has taken the lead for the QB1 spot over Shedeur Sanders.

“I think he’s ahead, and I don’t think he can be caught at this point of the spring period,” said Grossi about Watson. 

Grossi’s revelation comes as bad news for Shedeur Sanders, who has been vying for the QB1 spot for a long time. The Browns’ fifth-round pick in 2025 was hopeful about having some chance to become the team’s starter after head coach Todd Monken’s update last week.

Monken revealed to reporters after the OTAs last week that the QB1 was still on. He said that both Watson and Sanders were progressing well and that they hadn’t yet chosen their pick between the two.  

After Wednesday’s OTA, the Browns’ offensive coordinator, Travis Switzer, also answered questions from the media about who’s leading the race. 

“I don’t know that we have somebody who’s ahead. Like I said, we’re pleased with both their progress and all the guys are doing a nice job,” responded Switzer. 

Sanders had an average performance as a rookie. His turn to be the Browns QB1 came only for seven games. He could register 1,400 yards, made only 7 TDs against 10 INTs, and ended with a 56.6% completion rate. 

With NFL insiders like Grossi, Jeremy Fowler, and Mary Kay Cabot considering Watson to be the lead, there appears to be very little hope for Sanders to become the Browns' QB1.

Furthermore, Browns’ insider, Mary Kay Cabot, shed some light on the QB1 competition. She was affirmative on Watson becoming “the leader of the clubhouse”. However, she added that the current settings aren’t bringing out the best in Sanders. 

Mary Kay Cabot Highlights on What Sets Shedeur Sanders Apart

On Thursday, Cabot appeared on the 92.3 The Fan show and shared her take on the current scenario in the QB room in Cleveland. 

The Browns’ insider journalist went on to say that based on the five OTAs, Watson appears to take the lead. But she did leave some room for Sanders to reclaim the spot that was his for the seven games last season. 

“But here’s the thing to remember about Shedeur Sanders: Shedeur is a gamer. Shedeur plays on natural instincts, when the lights are on, and it is time for him to move down the field in a two-minute situation, he gets in a zone, and he lets his natural instincts take over,” said Cabot about Sanders’ playmaking abilities. 

Cabot concluded by saying that these practice settings aren’t the definitive markers of Sanders’ potential. She added that Sanders would perform much better during intense training and finally on the field. 

But will the Browns take a chance on just instincts? Tell us in the comments.

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Written by

Naomi Grace

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi