Palmer: Sanders has closed the gap on Watson

The consensus among Cleveland beat writers was that neither Watson nor Shedeur Sanders shined during the team’s OTA practices. “Watson seems healthy and occasionally threw downfield with confidence,” Jackson said, “but he lacked consistency and too often threw into traffic.” Sanders, meanwhile, “seemed to be a more confident and accurate passer later in the spring than he was early on.” Browns head coach Todd Monken said he would have liked to name a starter headed into training camp next month but neither quarterback stepped up in June. “Whether Sanders can win the job this summer remains to be seen,” Jackson said. Neither Browns QB would likely be a viable option in one-QB leagues this season.

The Deshaun Watson experiment hasn’t gone as the Browns hoped when they traded for him in 2022 and signed him to a record-setting four-year, $230 million contract. Watson’s performance on the field has been underwhelming, and the torn Achilles he suffered in 2024 kept him on the sidelines for all of 2025. Despite this, the 30-year-old signal-caller is in the midst of a battle with Shedeur Sanders for the Browns’ QB1 job this season, and Berry sounds open to the possibility of Watson not only playing for the team in 2026 but also in the future. Berry didn’t rule out Watson signing a new deal with the team after this year and said, “I think you have to be open-minded and flexible” when it comes to the quarterback position. It’s hard to imagine Watson remaining with the Browns beyond this season, given how things have gone so far, but for an organization that has started over 40 different QBs since 2000, it would seem that all options truly could be on the table. Regardless of who wins the Browns’ QB1 job to start the year, we would expect to see both Watson and Sanders at some point.

Monken noted that this is easy to say now, because the team is not practicing in pads. That said, Monken opined that “it feels like he’s making quicker decisions” and that the ball is coming out of his hands faster, which he has to continue doing on game days. Monken adds that Sanders possesses playmaking ability, but he needs to “eliminate lost-yards plays.” It sounds like Sanders’ to-do list is fairly straightforward. The battle between him and QB Deshaun Watson continues.

Shedeur Sanders took the initial reps with the first team, giving him a hair-width advantage, but Deshaun Watson will get to work with the ones tomorrow and both players will split reps on Thursday. Even when this job is initially won, it sure doesn’t seem like the winner will have much of a leash, making both players risky fantasy football picks both now and in best ball.

Wolfe continues to beat the drum for Sanders, despite recent reports indicating QB Deshaun Watson was pulling ahead in the competition. Wolfe also believes that Sanders’ play is forcing head coach Todd Monken to postpone making a decision to name a starting quarterback. The battle may continue into training camp. Sanders has reportedly improved his downfield passing and processing, and has an “aura” about him that some in the building find compelling. Wolfe closes the segment by wondering aloud whether one of these quarterbacks can convince the front office to forego drafting a quarterback next year. We’ll believe it when we see it, but for now, it sounds like Sanders has pulled even with Watson.

Per Fowler, QB Shedeur Sanders “has his moments this spring,” but Watson apparently fits well in coach Todd Monken’s scheme. The new offense has “some concepts” that Watson has run in the past, which allow him to freelance at times, and Watson “likes that.” The Browns are hoping that one quarterback does enough for the coaching staff to name a starter by the time training camp rolls around in July. Once a starter is named, we can begin to assess whether the victor is actually playing well, or if he simply outperformed an uninspiring teammate.

Cleveland’s Mary Kay Cabot believes Sanders’ development from April to the first two days of organized team activities (OTAs) this week “has been profound.” It’s going to be a long spring. The Browns’ likely overhyped quarterback competition has drawn headlines for a while now. That said, Monken believes Sanders has “come miles, in terms of his progressions, getting the ball out, his understanding of concepts.” Monken has run fantasy-friendly schemes in the past. If Sanders can truly master the system, he might be able to support two (or more?) pass catchers in fantasy.

It might not mean much for the forgotten man in the Browns quarterback room this offseason. Deshaun Watson continues to operate as the team’s starter in offseason practices. Shedeur Sanders is expected to compete for the starting gig, though he’s expected to be an underdog to begin the regular season under center for a revamped Cleveland offense. Head coach Todd Monken appears enamored with Watson, who has played in 19 regular season games since 2021. Gabriel had the NFL’s lowest EPA per drop back in 2025, just ahead of Sanders. The Browns have insisted they would not trade Gabriel this offseason.

Perhaps more notable is Fowler’s report that Monken’s offensive concepts are things Watson “has run in the past and been his best at.” The drumbeat is steadily growing louder for Watson, who has gained steam in recent weeks as the preferred option to open 2026 as the Browns starter. Watson is in the final year of the record-setting contract he signed in 2022 and is also returning from a torn Achilles that he initially suffered in 2024 and later re-ruptured, which sidelined him for all of 2025. Watson has struggled as a starter with the Browns, throwing for 3,365-19-12 in 19 games while leading them to a 9-10 record. Watson and second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders figure to be the team’s top two options at the position whenever the team decides on a starter. But early reports continually point to Watson getting the first crack at the job.

Monken also says he’s “not there yet” when it comes to naming his QB, but it doesn’t sound like he’s against the idea of naming his preferred starter before camp. Recent reports have suggested that Deshaun Watson “looks healthy” and has the inside edge to win the QB battle over Shedeur Sanders, who struggled mightily his rookie season. The Browns have been on the field for three days during their first mini camp, with Watson leading the QB room thus far. The last time we saw Watson, he threw for 1,148-5-3 in seven games for the Browns, but missed all of last season due to a torn Achilles. He’s in the final year of his record-setting five-year, $230 million contract, and could earn the early nod if he impresses enough before camp.