As the offseason began for the Cleveland Browns, most expected a quarterback battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders for the QB1 job. But even before the Browns opened OTAs, the narrative had already started shifting toward Watson potentially reclaiming the starting role for the 2026 season. And amid the uncertainty surrounding his place in the competition, Shedeur has now penned a message about outside opinions.

“Think about a person’s opinion… in the grand scheme of life, it means nothing,” he shared via Instagram. “We often give opinions power when we react to them and make them valuable. Why expect anything different from a modern culture that doesn’t keep GOD at the forefront of daily actions? Those who move through life with foul intentions will eventually face the consequences of their ways. The people who truly align with you will understand this perspective. In the end, as long as you’re walking in your purpose, GOD should be the only one you seek to please.”

The timing of the message caught attention shortly after Browns head coach Todd Monken addressed the team’s quarterback situation for 2026. According to Monken, the quarterback who performs best throughout OTAs, minicamp, and training camp will earn the QB1 role. At the same time, he also admitted that the Browns would prefer to settle the competition before training camp officially begins.

Right now, Cleveland has Watson, Shedeur, Dillon Gabriel, and Taylen Green in the quarterback room. Green is not viewed as a realistic contender for the starting role, which leaves the competition centered around Watson, Shedeur, and Gabriel. Still, much of the outside noise continues pointing toward Watson opening the season as QB1, with Shedeur and Gabriel competing for the backup spot instead.

ESPN’s Jake Trotter recently weighed in on the situation, saying:

“If you believe in Shedeur and you think there is a path to him becoming your franchise quarterback, I understand obviously taking him. But if you don’t feel that way, and you do take him still, and now you create this training camp circus where everybody is focused on the backup quarterback, which was the case in August last year. And the other part of it that I don’t understand is we’re hearing all this about Deshaun Watson’s gonna start, right? Whether you agree with it or not, it’s coming from somewhere.

Shedeur appeared in eight games during the 2025 season, throwing for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns. Once Cleveland’s season ended, there was growing optimism that he could push for the starting job entering Year 2. But that momentum shifted after the voluntary minicamp last month.

Following the minicamp in April, reports surfaced that Watson held a clear edge over Shedeur in the quarterback competition. Since then, speculation has continued building around the possibility of Shedeur spending another season in a backup role. NFL insider Albert Breer recently joined The Rich Eisen Show and explained why the Browns could still lean toward Watson beyond just his minicamp performance.

“[The Browns] have now invested nearly $200 million into Deshaun Watson; they have invested three first-round picks into him,” Breer said. “Obviously, it’s gone the way it’s gone; the return has not been close to the investment they made over the last four years. You know what would be worse than just striking out on this? What would be worse is striking out, not giving him a chance this year, and then seeing him go ball out somewhere else in 2027. I think for the Browns, part of this is, you sort of owe it to yourself to give this a run…”

So, that is where things currently stand. The Browns are once again heading into another quarterback battle. Only this time, the head coach is different, while the uncertainty around Cleveland’s quarterback room still feels very familiar.

Why Deshaun Watson could open the season as Browns QB1

“(I) would love to,” Todd Monken said during his appearance on the Ken Carman Show, when asked if he wants to have a starting QB before the training camp. “I would love to have that. I’m not there yet, so I can’t say that. We’ve been on the field three practices, which was awesome, and to get out there with our players.”

With Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Taylen Green all on the depth chart, splitting first-team reps throughout training camp does more than slow down individual development. It can stall the entire offense. So, it is not hard to understand why Monken would prefer to settle the QB1 role early, which naturally raises another question: who actually has the edge heading into camp?

Of course, OTAs and minicamp will ultimately shape that answer. But there are legitimate football reasons why Watson is currently viewed as the favorite over Shedeur Sanders. For broader context, Monken spent three seasons in Baltimore building an offense around Lamar Jackson and his dual-threat skill set.

Sanders and Gabriel are not built in that same mold, while Watson has previously shown the ability to extend plays and create outside structure, especially during his Houston Texans tenure. Across his final three seasons in Houston, Watson posted rushing totals of 551, 413, and 444 yards.

Beyond that, the Browns are going through a larger offensive reset altogether. The roster now includes rookie left tackle Spencer Fano, rookie receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, along with a new scheme, new terminology, and Monken handling play-calling duties himself. Throwing an inexperienced quarterback into that environment naturally comes with risk.

Watson, for all the uncertainty surrounding him, still brings experience to the table, which is a major reason why the QB1 speculation around him continues to exist. Whether that eventually turns into reality or Shedeur Sanders pushes him hard enough to win the starting job is something that will unfold over the next few months.”