While the Cleveland Browns claim to have an open quarterback competition, the early signs all but point toward one man—and it isn’t Shedeur Sanders.

“Deshaun Watson’s starting week one for the Browns,” Rich Eisen said on his YouTube channel. “I kind of think so, too. Please. They’re paying him. They’ve paid him all this time to wait for him. He’s going to be back, and he needs to play for various reasons, personally, professionally, but also the Browns could use having him out there to pay him to play as opposed to rehab.”

The Browns have invested a huge amount of money in Watson. Back in 2022, they handed him a fully guaranteed $230 million deal over five years. Since then, the franchise has kept adjusting his contract to manage cap space, including a move that clears close to $36 million in 2026, even while he is still due $46 million in both 2025 and 2026.

Watson’s massive contract has yielded minimal returns, as he’s been limited to just 19 games since arriving from Houston. After a torn Achilles tendon in 2024 was compounded by a re-tear during his rehab in 2025, sidelining him even longer and derailed his Browns tenure.

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Right now, neither quarterback has really secured the #1 spot with their performance. Watson has an 80.7 passer rating, throwing for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in those games.

Sanders, meanwhile, threw for 1,400 yards, scoring seven touchdowns but also tossing 10 interceptions in his seven starts, ending with a 3-4 record.

With Watson expected to be fully healthy for the 2026 season, Sanders now faces an uphill battle for the starting job.

Deshaun Watson is close to returning

Deshaun Watson is working hard to get back as the starting quarterback for the Browns as they move into the offseason. The news from his training sessions in Florida has been positive, with fans feeling hopeful about how he’s doing.

“[The Browns] are willing to see if Watson can rebound this season coming off his two surgeries to repair the ruptured and re-ruptured right Achilles,” Mary Kay Cabot said. “Reports out of South Florida, where he’s throwing under the guidance of his quarterbacks coach Quincy Avery, have all been very positive, and Todd Monken is eager to work with him.”

Right now, there’s a lot on the line for Watson. This season is crucial as he is approaching the end of his contract. Even though the Browns say it’s an open competition, the coaches really want to figure things out quickly.

“You would hope that that’s the case,” Monken said. “You would hope that by the time you get to training camp that the reps that you’re giving to a quarterback is for your starter. Whether we get to that place, I don’t know. That’ll be determined in the offseason as part of it. It’s just another part of the piece.”

Still, Watson is not alone in this race. Shedeur Sanders remains firmly in the picture, with Dillon Gabriel also in the mix. Right now, it seems like a contest between Watson and Sanders, with uncertainty surrounding Cleveland’s choice for quarterback.