Shedeur Sanders’ Grip on Browns’ QB1 Spot in Jeopardy as Deshaun Watson Eyes 2026 Return

Cleveland, OH — When Shedeur Sanders finally took his first NFL snap in Week 11 of the 2025 season, the rookie’s ascent felt like the stuff of Hollywood: twelve weeks glued to the bench, a concussion to Dillon Gabriel, and then a dazzling 24–10 victory over Las Vegas in his debut start. Seven starts, three wins, and a Pro Bowl nod later, Sanders has the résumé of a franchise quarterback—yet no guarantee he’ll keep the job.

On the eve of the 2026 league year, Browns general manager Andrew Berry pulled the rug from beneath any assumptions, confirming that Sanders will face a full-blown competition once three-year starter Deshaun Watson completes his rehab and re-enters the building. Watson, whose 2022 trade to Cleveland cost the franchise a treasure chest of draft capital, has not played since tearing his Achilles in Week 7 of the 2024 campaign. The 29-year-old’s Cleveland ledger reads 9–10 as a starter with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions across three injury-interrupted seasons, but the front office still views him as a viable path to contention.

“Any player that we have in that room we would expect to compete to earn a role,” Berry said at the NFL Combine. “Those two would be no different.”

The declaration ends months of speculation about whether Sanders’ late-season heroics—back-to-back wins to close 2025—would anoint him the long-term answer. Instead, head coach Todd Monken, hired in January after Kevin Stefanski’s dismissal, will stage an open audition once Watson receives medical clearance. Monken, who once tried to draft Sanders as Lamar Jackson’s backup in Baltimore, will call plays himself in 2026, adding another layer of intrigue to the evaluation.

Sanders’ rookie road was anything but conventional. Selected after fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel in the third round, he opened camp fourth on the depth chart behind Joe Flacco, Gabriel, and Bailey Zappe. Denied first-team reps and even scout-team work early on, Sanders waited until Gabriel’s concussion in Week 10 to dress on Sundays. His first start the following week showcased the poise that made him a household name at Colorado, and by season’s end he had engineered explosive plays while cutting down turnover-worthy throws—exactly the growth Berry wants to see sustained.

Watson’s potential return resurrects questions about both performance and optics. The quarterback served an 11-game suspension and a record $5 million fine in 2022 for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy after two dozen women alleged sexual misconduct; Watson has consistently denied wrongdoing. Cleveland’s front office initially framed the trade as a calculated risk worth the public-relations hit, but injuries and middling production have muted the on-field payoff. Now, with Watson healthy enough to throw and a new coaching staff in place, the Browns appear ready to let merit—rather than past investment—decide the pecking order.

Berry emphasized that no timetable exists for naming a starter. Cleveland owns the sixth overall selection in April’s draft and is widely projected to add Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano, a move that would fortify the blindside for whichever quarterback prevails. Free-agency whispers also link the club to Green Bay’s Rasheed Walker as a priority target, underscoring a win-now mindset despite the unresolved quarterback hierarchy.

For Sanders, the message is clear: last year’s climb was only the opening chapter. “We want to see continued growth,” Berry said. “Play consistently without putting the football in danger, while maintaining the ability to produce out of structure.”

Come training camp, Sanders will line up across from Watson, each vying for first-team reps and the right to lead Monken’s retooled offense. One earned the job through grit and late-season flashes; the other seeks redemption after injuries and controversy. The Browns, content to let the battle play out, insist the best man will take the first snap of 2026—no promises, no politics, only competition.

Shedeur Sanders knows the drill. He’s lived it once already.