The quarterback battle in the Cleveland Brown locker room may not be as settled as many expected. Veteran signal-caller Deshaun Watson, who was viewed as the clear frontrunner due to his experience till last week, is slowly losing chances to the 144th pick from the 2025 NFL Draft. Shedeur Sanders is finally picking up the pace and shifting the dynamics with the 2026 OTAs, when the quarterback was only given first-team reps in 2025.

“Here’s what I think is happening,” said Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot on 92.3 The Fan. “I think Shedeur has come on so strong in the last few weeks that it’s making them think, maybe we should see what he can do in training camp before we decide that perhaps Deshaun Watson might be QB1 on the depth chart. I think he’s just worked so hard and done such a nice job and maybe even surprised them in some ways that I think they’re backing off that a bit.”

Mary Kay Cabot’s assessment does not come without reason. The Cleveland Browns just wrapped up their OTAs on June 5. On Wednesday, Shedeur Sanders led the first-team drills for the first time this offseason. This OTA session was also available to the media, where insiders like Cabot took first-hand notice of Shedeur.

“I felt there was a paradigm shift today in this whole thing I did,” said Cabot. “It just felt like things were different today.”

During the session, Sanders appeared to be closing the gap against Watson for the QB1 spot. In the OTAs held earlier since May, Deshaun Watson performed like a veteran as he took the majority of first-team reps. During one of the OTAs in May, the veteran went 11 of 17 (64.7%) in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, throwing for 6 touchdowns and 1 interception.

Watson seemed highly decisive and also executed deep-ball throws to receivers like Jerry Jeudy, Jamari Thrash, and Denzel Boston. However, his consistency dipped in June, opening the door for the second-year quarterback competitor.

Shedeur didn’t shy away from maximizing the opportunity to its absolute best. Browns reporter Ashley Bastock had a similar reaction to Cabot on the 24-year-old’s growth.

“Shedeur certainly did more than Deshaun today, and for the three OTA practices we’ve been out here,” said Bastock on 92.3 The Fan. “I can’t think of a period where he didn’t lead them off that was a full-speed period. I also think he had the throw of the day, that go-ball to Isaiah Bond in the final two-minute sort of period that they did. So I mean all of that was really good… It was by no means a perfect practice. But this was undeniably the practice where we just saw Shedeur Sanders getting more opportunities with the ones as opposed to the two prior practices in OTAs that we’ve seen.”

Sanders’ efforts were visible to the analysts and even the head coach, Todd Monken, who seemingly kept Sanders in the same conversation as Watson. “We have two starting-level quarterbacks. We really do,” he added.

Although Monken didn’t directly name anyone, considering Sanders’ recent performances, Monken might be looking at the 24-year-old quarterback as their starter for the upcoming season. According to ESPN’s Tony Grossi, Watson scored two touchdowns while recording an interception. Meanwhile, Sanders scored three touchdowns, with zero interceptions.

The Browns HC also pointed out Sanders’ compatibility with WR Isaiah Bond.

“It’s a piece of the practice,” Monken said. “I think Isaiah Bond has come on the last week and a half. Shedeur has really come on. I thought he had a really good day today.”

While Sanders’ performances have led to further discussion for the Browns’ QB1 battle, it will be interesting to see who makes the final cut. As things stand, there have been no official announcements, neither from the team nor from HC Todd Monken.

NFL analyst believes Deshaun Watson might be on the bench for the 2026 season

The criticism against Deshaun Watson wasn’t as harsh at the beginning of the offseason as it is now. With Sanders’ performance gaining attention, Watson may not end up with a starting job, unlike earlier.

According to Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, there is a possibility for the Cleveland Browns to bench Watson at some point in the 2026 season.

“Cleveland is giving Watson one last opportunity under new head coach Todd Monken. The former Pro Bowler has a commanding lead in the quarterback competition,” wrote Knox. “Of course, that doesn’t mean the Browns, who just traded away Myles Garrett, are prepared to win now. Unless Watson regains his Houston form and pushes Cleveland toward the playoff hunt, the Browns may want to get a look at multiple quarterbacks this season, including Sanders.”

Deshaun Watson isn’t the same player he once was during his peak at the Houston Texans. If he fails to handle the pressure, the Browns may not hesitate to drop him and build a stable future with a promising young quarterback like Shedeur Sanders.