​Deshaun Watson appeared to hold the clear edge to be the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback for Week 1 in June, but with training camp approaching, the dynamic between Watson and second-year signal-caller Shedeur Sanders is becoming increasingly intriguing. NFL insider James Palmer recently told Bleacher Report on a live stream that Sanders has “closed the gap” on Watson in the Browns’ quarterback competition. As camps near, Cleveland will enter a legitimate quarterback battle that fans and analysts will be watching closely.
To understand how we arrived at this juncture, it helps to revisit where things stood just a few months ago. Watson, coming back from a torn Achilles, reportedly “hit it off” with first-year Browns head coach Todd Monken early in the process. By the end of May, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Watson held a “leg up” in the Browns’ quarterback competition. Yet the trajectory shifted shortly afterward.
In June, Watson reportedly showed inconsistency, allowing Sanders to make this a more credible duel for the starting job. Sanders earned praise from Monken for becoming “more decisive,” and reports from the practice field suggested he had been impressing coaches and demonstrating tangible signs of development. Those early impressions painted a different picture than the one from the spring, highlighting the ongoing competition within the Browns’ quarterback room.
It’s also important to recall how Watson performed the last time he played in an NFL game. In 2024, he completed 63.4 percent of his passes and posted a 79.0 passer rating, with a 1-6 record as a starter and a 5-3 TD-INT ratio. Across three seasons with the Browns, his numbers show a 61.2 percent completion rate, averages of 6.0 yards per attempt, and an 80.7 passer rating. Sanders, by contrast, had a tougher rookie season, delivering a 56.6 percent completion rate with a 7-10 TD-INT line and a 68.1 passer rating. The contrast between the two quarterbacks underscores why the offense’s overhaul this offseason matters and why the coaching staff appears more confident in Sanders as a potential long-term option.
Despite the early advantages for Watson, the new coaching approach and system changes in Cleveland have created a fresh context for the competition. The Browns have remodeled their offense this offseason, and the staff appears to trust the growth trajectory of their second-year quarterback. Those combined factors help explain why Sanders’ momentum should not be dismissed, even if Watson remains the perceived favorite at this stage.
Looking ahead, the expectation is that both Watson and Sanders will receive opportunities to start for the Browns this season. Watson’s experience and pedigree keep him in the mix, but Sanders’ progress and the momentum he’s earned could make this competition particularly compelling to monitor throughout the summer and into the regular season. The Browns will likely approach 2026 with a quarterback rotation that reflects a true two-man competition, rather than a presumed single-leader, leaving fans to anticipate how the coaching staff will allocate reps and how the dynamics at the position will evolve.
In sum, the Browns enter training camp with a legitimate quarterback duel between Watson and Sanders. While Watson remains the more established name, Sanders has demonstrated growth and consistency in practice that has energized the team and the fan base. As the season unfolds, it should come as no surprise if Sanders stairs into a starting role or splits time in some capacity, ensuring that Cleveland benefits from a competitive, dynamic quarterback room that could shape the offense’s success in 2026.