Heading into the offseason, Cleveland Browns fans were told there would be an open quarterback competition between second-year passer Shedeur Sanders and $230 million QB Deshaun Watson, who hasn’t played a snap since Oct. 20, 2024. However, through the first two weeks of training camp and one preseason game, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Watson is clearly favored to win the starting job, not because he’s clearly outplaying Sanders, but because that’s who the front office wants to win the job.
Sanders clearly showed glimpses of potential as a rookie last season — he threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while going 3-4 as the starter. But for whatever reason, the Browns seem to be stacking the deck in favor of Watson, who’s taking more of Cleveland’s first-team reps. ESPN’s Mike Greenberg doesn’t like what he’s seeing from the Browns, and he called the team out on Tuesday’s episode of “Get Up” for not handling Sanders’ development the right way.
Perhaps that’s why the Browns front office is clearly pushing Watson as its QB1. Or perhaps Browns owner Jimmy Haslam wants Watson to play next season so he can at least get a miniscule return on the $230 million he guaranteed the former Pro Bowl QB when he was acquired from the Houston Texans back in 2022 in exchange for three first-round picks, two third-round picks, and a fourth-round pick. Either way, Greenberg’s point is valid.
If the Browns really were embracing an open competition, Sanders would be getting more first-team reps than he is, and there likely would be fewer reports from team insiders about how Watson is the favorite to win the job.
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