For much of the Cleveland Browns‘ offseason program, it looked like Deshaun Watson had an edge over Shedeur Sanders. But according to longtime Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot, it looks like the veteran is going through some wear and tear already

“Well, I thought it was very significant that when we showed up for the very first day of mandatory minicamp, the player taking most of the first team reps on that day, on the first day of mandatory minicamp, was Shedeur Sanders,” Cabot told Dan Labbe on Orange and Brown Talk. I just thought that it was significant. I don’t think there’s any other way to slice it. I think that in that moment, they felt that he had an opportunity to seize the moment and show what he could do.”

“So, I think what Deshaun needs to do now is, I think he needs to get some proper rest over the break, because I thought his arm seemed to tail off a little. Maybe he got the slightest bit of fatigue in his surgically repaired shoulder. It hasn’t had this much work, I don’t think, since before the surgery.”

Watson is facing pressure as he tries to work his way back from a major procedure on his throwing shoulder. During the latter stages of the offseason program, Cabot claimed that he might be dealing with fatigue. After all, this is probably the first time since he injured his shoulder in 2023 that he is putting his throwing arm to so much use.

However, unlike Cabot, Watson is giving his all to lock down the QB1 job. After the Browns wrapped up minicamp around mid-June, the veteran returned to train with his private physiotherapist and personal QB coach. Watson is also planning a private passing camp in South Florida, which will host some of his offensive teammates. Shedeur Sanders will also be part of this event.

If Watson needs to hold off an improved Sanders and win the QB1 battle, he’ll have to prove that he’s healthy and in control. Since he joined the Cleveland Browns, Watson has never been able to play a full season. He missed the entirety of the 2025 season because he re-tore an Achilles tendon that was on the mend.

The QB1 fight is still far from over, but it is remarkable how far ahead Shedeur Sanders has come over the past few months. General Manager Andrew Berry told 92.3 The Fan that the Year 2 quarterback’s development has been “phenomenal.”

Experience is where he falters in comparison to Watson, but this race will go down to the wire. Whether the veteran can maintain the slim lead after training camp, however, is left to be seen.