If the Cleveland Browns want to have a better offense next season, they should start Shedeur Sanders over Deshaun Watson.
According to NFL analyst Moe Moton of Bleacher Report, if the Cleveland Browns want to have a better offense next season, they should start Shedeur Sanders over Deshaun Watson at QB.
The Browns will use training camp and preseason action to determine who will start Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Moton thinks Cleveland should go with Sanders.
"Watson has started in 19 games across three seasons with the Browns, throwing for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a 61.2 percent completion rate," Moton wrote. "Owner Jimmy Haslam already said the team "took a big swing and miss" on the trade for Watson. Cleveland needs to see what Sanders can do in a full season as the starter before the 2027 draft."
Sanders finished his rookie season with 1,400 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 169 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He went 3-4 as a starter.
Meanwhile, Watson didn't play last season. He was recovering from the Achilles tear he suffered during the 2024 season.
Sanders was named to the 2025 Pro Bowl as a replacement. He's one of the most popular players in the NFL because of his dad, Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
Since making his Browns debut, Watson has posted a 33.1 Total QBR, the lowest among qualified passers. The odds of the former Houston Texans star turning back the clock after an Achilles tear are pretty low, which is why many NFL pundits believe Cleveland should start Shedeur so the team can fully evaluate him for an entire season.
Most Cleveland fans want Shedeur to start because Watson has been horrible since getting traded to the Browns. Watson also dealt with off-the-field stuff.
When Watson tore his Achilles, many Browns fans cheered. That should tell you everything about how Cleveland fans regard Watson.
According to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Shedeur has made up ground in the QB1 battle with Watson. This may go down to the wire.
"This is a true, heated battle and this one's only going to heat up in training camp. As was told to me, Deshaun Watson went into the spring as the clear favorite and then Shedeur Sanders has bridged the gap at least somewhat," Fowler said on Thursday's episode of NFL Live. "I still believe Watson's in a good position. I'm told he was moving like a major athlete again coming off those Achilles tears. He's moving well, he's fluid, looks like the athlete of old to most extents.
"But Sanders was decisive. I was told he's got a presence about him that the coaching staff noticed that they might have underestimated a little bit. So I expect this to go into preseason games. You're gonna see multiple weeks of this."
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