Remember how Tommy DeVito, a.k.a “Tommy Cutlets,” became a cultural phenomenon with the New York Giants in 2023. He stood as an undrafted rookie in that season, while Daniel Jones led the franchise after a $160 million contract extension. Despite that, Jones was viewed as an expensive mistake, while DeVito was treated like royalty in New York. According to Browns Insider, Mary Kay Cabot, a similar situation might unfold at Cleveland if Deshaun Watson leads the team over Shedeur Sanders.

“[Can you keep him as the backup if he doesn’t win the starting job?] I think it would be challenging,” said Cabot on 92.3 The Fan. “I think the Browns probably believe they can do that. But I think that perhaps they would be underestimating the reaction that would be happening at Huntington Bank Field. This will be a unique situation if Deshaun wins the job because he’ll actually be better received on the road than he will be at home. And it’s a great way to start out the season with two games on the road. But then you do have to come home, and you are going to have to deal with the very real phenomenon of Shedeur being loved and Deshaun being the villain.”

Over the years, Deshaun Watson has seemingly provided enough reasons to put him on the receiving end of the criticism. The actions may not have been intentional. Yet, consequences hampered his reputation.

Take Watson’s 2021 civil lawsuit controversy for an example. He was hit with lawsuits from more than two dozen female massage therapists who accused him of concerning behavior. Although Watson maintained his innocence, it left a detrimental impact on his overall outlook.

Watson arrived at the Cleveland Browns after a standout 2020 season with the Houston Texans. In 16 regular-season games, the 30-year-old QB threw 4,823 yards and 33 touchdowns. So, the Browns fans expected him to leave a similar impact in Cleveland. However, in his first four years with the Browns, Watson started just 19 out of 85 possible games, going 9-10 with poor accuracy and low quarterback ratings.

Not just that, the hostility peaked when Watson suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the 2024 season, and a segment of the home stadium crowd actively cheered his injury. But this behavior differs for Shedeur Sanders.

Last year, as a rookie, Sanders provided a glimmer of hope to the dawg pound. In Watson’s absence, Cleveland was left without a starting quarterback, and the front office rotated between Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. However, among the three, the 24-year-old QB recorded the most yards (1,400).

“Thanks, everyone, for the 🧡 and support,” wrote Sanders before the final roster announcement last year. “There’s a lot to learn from this preseason, but I’m really thankful for the opportunity to be out there. Day by day, rep by rep, I’ll keep learning and getting better.”

Clearly, Shedeur Sanders has an edge over Deshaun Watson in terms of popularity, as Mary Kay Cabot claimed. However, the Browns are yet to make a final decision on who will be the QB1 heading into the 2026 season. But as things stand, both Sanders and Watson aren’t shying away from proving their worth.

The Browns seemingly leaned towards Watson to lead the charge at the beginning of the offseason. Cabot herself noted, “Deshaun Watson emerged from the Browns voluntary minicamp last week with an edge over Shedeur Sanders in the two-man quarterback competition — and has the inside track to be named the Browns QB1.”

However, over the last few weeks, contrasting reports have highlighted Sanders’ improvement in the OTAs. The 24-year-old QB led the first team drills and appeared to be closing the gap against Watson. Yet HC Todd Monken and the front office are still hesitant to make a rushed call.

They are open to waiting until the pre-season games before deciding their QB1. Amid that update, a concerning report is also raising alarms on Sanders’ future with the franchise.

According to ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Rizzo, the Browns front office has been taking calls regarding the second-year signal-caller.

NFL teams rarely carry four quarterbacks into the regular season. Hence, there is a possibility that if Watson wins the starting job, Cleveland would either trade Sanders or Gabriel. Now, only time will tell if the Browns are looking to move towards this option.