For anyone who thought the Cleveland Browns quarterback battle was going to default to Deshaun Watson, think again. According to NFL insider James Palmer, backup Shedeur Sanders is "closing the gap" on the 30-year-old who looked poised to return to starting action in 2026.
"There's a lot of people who believe [the Browns] will start the season with Deshaun Watson over Shedeur Sanders because it's easier to go from Deshaun to Shedeur," Palmer explained Tuesday. "But Shedeur Sanders is closing the gap."
Whether that means Sanders is improving to the point where he's catching Watson or whether Watson is regressing to the point where Sanders is just as good an option, we simply don't know. Regardless of whichever it actually is, though, the Browns may have to consider biting the bullet one way or another.
Shedeur Sanders beating Deshaun Watson may be best option for Browns QB battle
It's understandable that Cleveland would want to get as much out of Watson before his mammoth deal comes to an end in 2027. But the team is moving on from him regardless and needs to tank if the future of the franchise currently isn't on the Browns roster.
That's where giving Sanders starting reps may serve as a better approach to this season. There will be a team that inevitably loses a starter or backup and could call Cleveland about taking a flyer on Watson's expiring deal. There's also no guarantee Watson stays healthy himself or plays well enough to justify his continuing as the starter.
So Sanders is going see the field one way or another. Why not just let him play from the start? The worst that could happen (depending on your definition of "worst") is the Browns end up with a top pick to replace him and Watson in a draft that is expected to feature Dante Moore and Arch Manning. The ceiling would be a near-.500 campaign where Cleveland still has ample draft capital to acquire a new passer.
In the scenario where Sanders somehow balls out and becomes the projected first-round talent a lot of pundits (read: Mel Kiper) thought he'd be, Cleveland has a super-cheap starter with just over a million dollars in salary cap hits over the next two seasons. That shouldn't stop them from drafting a top rookie in 2027 to compete with Sanders either.
The Browns are in a win-win scenario for once, but that's only if they finally cut their losses and move on from Watson like they should've a long time ago.