It looks like the Cleveland Browns will start Deshaun Watson next season.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Deshaun Watson emerged from Cleveland Browns minicamp as the favorite to be the team's starting quarterback.
Watson has the inside track to be Cleveland's QB1 in 2026.
Suspension and injuries have limited Watson to 19 games since he arrived in Cleveland. Since making his Browns debut, Watson has posted a 33.1 Total QBR, which would be the lowest among qualified passers.
A Clemson product, Watson has 3,365 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns with Cleveland. He's thrown 12 interceptions.
Watson has 17,904 passing yards and 123 passing touchdowns in the NFL with the Houston Texans and Browns. He was the 12th overall pick in the 2017 draft.
It's worth mentioning that the Browns did restructure Watson's contract at the start of this month. Cleveland freed up close to $36 million in cap space and made the team cap compliant.
Watson, who did not play in 2025 as he rehabbed an Achilles tear from the 2024 season, was set to have an $80.7 million cap hit in 2026, the largest in the NFL.
Shedeur 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.
Sanders was named to the Pro Bowl as a replacement selection. He's one of the most popular players in the NFL because of who his dad is: Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
Cleveland went 5-12 last season. Todd Monken replaces Kevin Stefanski, who was fired and joined the Atlanta Falcons as their new HC.
Along with Watson and Sanders, the Browns have Dillon Gabriel in the QB room. Gabriel finished his rookie season with 937 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns and two interceptions before getting benched for Sanders. The lefty completed only 59.5% of his passes and went 1-5 as a starter.
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