The heated debate over who deserves to be the starting quarterback between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders intensifies, with no answer in sight. And Watson may be gaining momentum with recent developments, but Cleveland Browns fans are still upset with him.

On Wednesday, ESPN Cleveland shared an X post featuring Watson throwing the ball and asked if he should start in Week 1, 2026. 

“Browns QB Deshaun Watson throwing this offseason. Do you think Watson or Shedeur Sanders should start week 1?” the post read. 

The Browns traded for Watson in 2022 after he impressed the league with his performance with the Houston Texans. In the four seasons he played there, Watson scored 104 touchdowns for 14,539 yards.

His best performance came in the 2020 season. The quarterback had 33 touchdowns with a completion rate of 70.2 per cent for a league high 4,832 yards. 

The Browns gave him a guaranteed five-year contract worth $230 million. 

But had the management foreseen the downward spiral Watson would cause, they probably would’ve reconsidered the deal.

Watson has spent most of his time off the field, limited by a grade 3 Achilles tear. In the past three seasons, he started only 19 games. He managed to score 19 touchdowns for 3,365 yards and a 9-10 QB record.

The Browns went 3-14 in 2024 and 5-12 primarily due to their weak offense last season. And new head coach Todd Monken said that Sanders, Watson, and Dillon Gabriel have to earn the QB1 position in an “open competition.”

So far, Sanders appeared to be the frontrunner. The former Colorado Buffs star scored seven touchdowns for 1,400 yards with 10 interceptions. Since his regular-season debut in Week 12, Sanders improved his completion rate from 55 percent to 73.9 percent in Week 17.

On one hand, the Browns have a proven veteran. On the other hand, they have a second-year signal-caller loved by the Dawg Pound.

“Wrecked Our Franchise”: Fans Lash Out Against Watson

A fan outright stated that Watson “wrecked” the Browns. They opined that Sanders should start the 2026 season and prove if he is better with a new head coach and offensive players. 

“The Watson trade wrecked our franchise. We need to see what Sanders can do with protection for the first time in god knows how long and some new weapons and a full offseason of real coaching,” the comment read. 

Another fan dismissed the discussion altogether, suggesting that a new quarterback be drafted, if needed.

“Honestly, there shouldn’t even really be a second thought on this decision in my opinion.  We already tried the Watson experiment.  Now it’s time to see if Shedeur can be a franchise QB or not.  If not, then we draft our future QB in 2027.  I believe Watson is an afterthought.”

A few others stated that they don’t even want to see Watson play anymore.

“Watson should never be allowed anywhere near the field ever again.”

“Sanders. I don't even want Watson in the stadium,” another wrote.

One X user opined that Watson, who is already paid a hefty paycheck, doesn’t have the drive to play and may serve as a backup.

“He has a quarter of a billion dollars guaranteed. He's not beating out a hungry should've been a 1st rd pick, on a 5th rd contract. He ain't got that dog in him no more. Once the pads come on and he gets hit, its a wrap. He'll want to be the back up.”

Despite the support from fans, Sanders is fighting an uphill battle. Earlier this week, Jimmy Haslam said that they are “cautiously optimistic” over Watson’s return in the upcoming season.

This changes the Watson vs Sanders debate, and no one knows where it is headed. What are your thoughts?

Read more at the Cleveland Browns Community.

Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore