The more you think about the Cleveland Browns‘ quarterback situation, the more hapless you’ll feel. Already in a bind over the 2022 Deshaun Watson trade, which owner Jimmy Haslam called a “big swing and miss”, 2025 was supposed to be a competition between Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. By mid-season, however, it was clear that the team, that has had a staggering 42 starting QBs since 1999, had long to move on from their notorious quarterback carousel.

With Pickett, Flacco and Gabriel sidelined with lackluster performances and injuries, Sanders seized the opportunity and showed enough promise to be viewed as the Browns’ future. It also helped that new head coach Todd Monken shared a “great vibe” with the young star and even tried to draft him as the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator. But only if things were this easy. Barely a month after Sanders claimed he had the making of a franchise-changing quarterback, reality hit him with not one, but two adversities.

“NFL Network’s @MikeGarafolo believes QB Deshaun Watson is in the “pole position” to be the Browns week 1 starter,” ESPN Cleveland reported, before the insider revealed more on Good Morning Football.

“Does Deshaun Watson have a chance to be the Browns’ starter in 2026? Yes he does,” Garafolo opined. “And in my opinion, he’s got a great shot. In fact, at this point, if Deshaun Watson is the starter Week 1 for the Cleveland Browns, this guy right here is not going to be surprised.

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“Now there will probably be some kind of open competition that they’ll have throughout the summer. The Browns have done that before. But you’re paying (Watson) anyway. He’s on the roster. He was previously an accomplished quarterback. There’s been a lot that’s happened off the field. I understand that. But to me, Deshaun Watson might even be in the pole position at this point to be the Browns’ starter for this upcoming season.”

While it feels like being back to square one for Sanders after proving his mettle last season, we also have to take into account that Watson is heading into the final year of his fully guaranteed $230 million contract. So, it’s understandable why the team wouldn’t want to decide his future after testing him out next season. In fact, Todd Monken also indicated that despite good relationships with Sanders, QB competitions are the need of the hour.

“What I see in Shedeur is elite playmaking ability. It’s in him,” Monken told Zac Jackson of The Athletic last month. “ But I don’t [understand] why it wouldn’t be an open competition. I don’t mean that harshly, but I don’t think there’s enough on film over the last couple years one way or the other to say, ‘Boy, we have our starter at quarterback yet’, whether internally or externally.”

And if that wasn’t enough of a wrench in the fifth-rounder’s works, another name just cropped up in Cleveland’s quarterback future…

As per several experts, Ty Simpson is being touted as the perfect fit for the team. Completing 305 of 473 passes (64.5%) for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2025, while also rushing for two touchdowns in 15 games, the 6-foot-2, 208-pound player’s arm talent and footwork is enough to convince draft experts.

“The elements are all there for him to become an NFL starter in time,” NFL.com’s Eric Edholm wrote, while CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco had Simpson going as Pick 24 in the first round.

However, talent might not be the only reason for the Browns to consider Simpson’s candidature. Turns out, Ty’s father Jason Simpson and Todd Monken go way back as a Southern Miss alum and the football team’s head coach, respectively.

“They talk often,” Simpson said of his father and Monken. “He texted him when he got the job and they’ve texted a little bit [since], so if I had the opportunity to play for the Browns, it would be a dream come true. I think I’d be in great hands with the team that they have and the organization, and then coach Monken, what he does with the quarterbacks and the offense is super quarterback-friendly and I think he’s going to coach me hard if I’m able to go there and I know he’s going to do it the right way.”

That only means one thing: Shedeur Sanders’ future just got more murkier. Though there are many within the Dawg Pound who feel Sanders deserves a real shot.

Browns legend is confident about Shedeur Sanders

While speaking on his 4th and South podcast, the former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry shared a strong belief in Shedeur Sanders and what he can become for the team.

“I think Shedeur [Sanders] has the talent. I think he’s a baller. He can really get his guys involved. It’s really just more of putting the pieces together in a way that they play to his strengths,” Landry said. “I don’t know if they did that enough last year. This year would be a good indication of hopefully he can make that leap. Shedeur has the gifts. I don’t think they take another quarterback.”

Last season, the Dawg Pound had mixed feelings about Sanders. Many fans felt the Browns didn’t give him enough chances to play consistently, and the offensive line didn’t help much either.

In his seven starts, Sanders threw for 1,400 yards, had seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and finished with a 3-4 record. The turnovers were a problem, but so was the offensive line.

So let’s see how things go for Shedeur Sanders amid Watson’s return and if he can live up to Landry’s faith in him during games.