Deshaun Watson took a rough turn against the Bills. The team lost by a large margin of 31-7, and Watson’s performance raised a lot of red flags. In its wake, an NFL insider is rooting for Shedeur Sanders as QB1.

“It’s easier to go from the veteran to the rookie,” Daniel Jeremiah said on NFL Game Day Kickoff. “You start with Deshaun Watson. If it doesn’t go well, you pivot. But after going through all training camp and then what we’ve seen in the preseason, I’ve changed on that one. I’ve completely flipped and said this is a young team.

“He’s a young quarterback. Let these guys grow together. And what does that mean for Deshaun Watson? I don’t know, that there’s a home for him there if he’s not the starter. You’re gonna eat that $41 million either way. So in my opinion, you start should, or you and Sanders end up cutting Deshaun Watson, but we’ll see how this whole thing plays out.”

Daniel Jeremiah is not one for hot takes; Watson was probably catastrophically bad in his eyes for him to dish out such a drastic comment.

Watson took over after Sanders in the second half against the Bills. The Browns were already behind Buffalo by 7 points. But he could not help the Browns’ offense. The team went three-and-out twice in the third quarter, and in the next possession, Watson was intercepted. He finished the game 5-of-12 on passes for 36 yards and ran the ball twice for 13 yards. For someone who Todd Monken thought was “awesome” vs the Bears, this was a very disappointing performance.

Watson is projected to be the Browns’ starting quarterback. He’s been getting more reps in practice recently, and Shedeur Sanders has been relegated to second-team duties. But throughout training camp, the latter quarterback came away with notable performances.

In the first week of training camp, Sanders completed 64 of 91 passes, giving him a 70.3% completion rate. He threw 4 touchdowns and only 1 interception, showing good accuracy and making fewer mistakes. Watson threw three touchdowns but also had six interceptions. 12 practices in, his interception count had risen to nine.

Sanders, however, finished his half of the Bills game 9-of-11 on passes for 74 yards and scored once, while throwing an interception and getting sacked once. Monken still hasn’t named his starter, but the fight between Sanders and Watson is still going toe-to-toe.

Cutting Deshaun Watson is easier said than done. He will be earning $46 million this year, the last paycheck of his five-year contract with the Browns. But since the full amount ($230 million) is guaranteed, Cleveland has to pay him regardless of whether or not he is on the roster.

It will be interesting to see what decision the Browns will make ahead of the 2026 season, and whether Watson lasts on the roster.