Shedeur

Sanders

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.

Concepcion, taken by the Browns with the 24th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, said he visited with Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes when he transferred schools following his sophomore season at NC State. “He’s a great guy, a great leader,” Concepcion said of Sanders. “I just can’t wait to build that relationship and build that connection with him.” That Concepcion is excited about playing with Sanders in Cleveland could be noteworthy as Sanders competes with Deshaun Watson — coming off multiple Achilles injuries — for Week 1 starting duties. Sanders in 2025 ranked 38th out of 38 qualifying quarterbacks in EPA per drop back and 36th in accuracy.

“Deshaun looks great by the way, he’s done a great job, he looks healthy, he’s in a great head space,” Johnson said during a Wednesday radio interview, acknowledging an “ongoing competition” between Watson and other Cleveland QBs, including, presumably, Shedeur Sanders. “If [Watson] is our starting quarterback, I know there are people who won’t be supportive. But they should be supportive as much as they can.” Watson, 30, is coming off who torn Achilles tendons and is slated to make $34.9 million in 2026. He’s played in 19 regular season games since 2021, due in part to legal troubles related to alleged sexual misconduct during this time with the Texans. The Watson vs. Sanders competition will be closely watched in the coming months.

“You couldn’t ask for a better start for the quarterbacks,” Monken said in reference to the QBs’ performance during offseason workouts on Monday. “I was fired up.” For now the Cleveland quarterbacks room includes Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson, 30, who’s coming off two torn Achilles tendons and is slated to make $34.9 million in 2026. Monken said he was encouraged by the quarterbacks’ grasp of the team’s new offensive playbook. There’s a long way to go before Monken names a Week 1 starter, but The Athletic’s Zac Jackson said recently that he feels “stronger than ever” that Sanders, who threw seven touchdowns and ten picks over eight games in 2025, is the favorite to land the starting gig in Monken’s offense.