The quarterback battle in Cleveland seems to be all anybody can talk about these days. The mere thought of Deshaun Watson running it back for one final season as Browns starter is hard to swallow, and yet first-year coach Tod Monken remains committing to thoroughly evaluating both quarterbacks fighting for the Week 1 starting job. Watson will get the start in Week 1 of the preseason, while Shedeur Sanders will start the second game.
The fact that Watson will be the first Browns starter under center would seem to indicate that he has the edge so far, despite playing in just 19 games since he was acquired in 2022. Sanders won three of his seven starts last year, but a miserable sub-20 QBR looms over his second season and has both fans and clearly the coaching staff cautious to start him again.
As I’ve said most of the offseason, who starts Week 1 is really not that important in the grand scheme of things. Cleveland has a bad habit of recycling quarterbacks over the course of a full season. All this preseason is going to do is either confirm Watson is the best option, or prove Sanders simply isn’t ready.
Shedeur Sanders starting Week 2 of the preseason could win him Week 1 starting job
Watson being named the starter for the first preseason game really doesn’t mean much. In fact, Sanders already getting the nod for the second preseason game gives him a path to the Week 1 job. Watson has all the pressure of looking fully recovered in his first game since suffering a second Achilles tear last year.
If Watson looks horrible in his 2026 debut, it will then give Sanders a path to prove he’s worth moving forward with. Of course, this means Sanders has to look good — but "good" doesn’t mean he has to post solid stats or even a high QBR. Good for Sanders means looking improved from his rookie season. Does he give the coaching staff proof that he’s progressed? Has he learned from some of his struggles during the early weeks of training camp?
Sanders has to take at least a small step forward, especially considering he’ll get a chance to play in the first preseason game. He needs to treat his preseason start like a real game. This isn’t just about getting reps; he has to surpass the coaching staff’s standards or he may not ever convince them he’s their guy moving forward.
What Deshaun Watson’s 2026 preseason debut means for quarterback battle
At this point, Watson being named the starter for the first preseason game just means Monken is giving him the first chance to earn the job. To be honest, when Watson started getting more first-team reps over the last week of camp, that kind of proved he was already ahead of Sanders in this battle. The two have still been splitting reps all summer, though, so there’s no clear and obvious choice. Monken has said he’s going to go with the quarterback that proves they’re the best option.
Whomever was starting the first preseason game was always going to be under the most pressure. They set the tone for what is expected for the other quarterback. Monken trusting Watson for the first preseason game essentially means that he trusts him to set a reasonably high bar. If Watson doesn’t live up to those expectations, it makes Monken and the rest of the offensive coaching staff’s job even tougher in evaluation.
The Browns put themselves in this position under center, and now they have to live with it. Monken inherited two of the most talked-about quarterbacks in the NFL and neither are great options to have. What happens this preseason will be just another tale in this long story that is Browns quarterback drama.
Sanders, for now, it’s the odd one out. In fact, him getting the second game means he has a much better chance at winning the starting job than Watson because everyone will be comparing his outing to Watson’s.
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