Deshaun Watson vs. Shedeur Sanders: Who Should Start For The Browns In 2026?

Brand new Browns HC Todd Monken faces a dilemma heading into the 2026 season: who is his starting quarterback?

With Deshaun Watson starting to throw again, it brings up what will be the biggest storyline during the Browns’ training camp. Cleveland’s coaching staff will be closely watching Watson and Shedeur Sanders from the moment they step on the field at training camp.

Let’s break down each quarterback and provide their pros and cons to be the starter.

RELATED: 2026 NFL Draft Guide ... who are the Browns projected to select?

How Was The Cleveland Browns Passing Game Last Season?

The Browns had a carousel of quarterbacks last season.

Cleveland began the year with Joe Flacco as their starter, and he played four games before being traded to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Following the Flacco trade, rookie Dillon Gabriel was named the starter. He played six games for the Browns before suffering a concussion in the first half of Week 11.

Sanders would step in, finish that game and remain the starter for the rest of the season.

Here is where the Browns’ passing game ranked during the 2025 season:

Passing yards per game: 165.1 (31st)
Passing Touchdowns: 16 (30th)
Interceptions: 18 (29th)
Yards per pass attempt: 5.0 (30th)

With the Browns being one of the worst passing offenses in the NFL last season, it’s understandable why there could be a competition for the starting quarterback position.

Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders: Who Should Be The Cleveland Browns Starting Quarterback?

The Browns will likely have a quarterback competition between Watson and Sanders in training camp. We’ll analyze why each QB should and should not be the starter.

Why Deshaun Watson should be the starter

If Watson can return to the player he was at the start of his career, then he could turn the Browns into a potential playoff team.

In his first four seasons with the Texans, he earned three Pro Bowls, and in 2020, he led the league with 4,832 passing yards and 8.9 yards per attempt. Cleveland has a new coaching staff and a new offensive scheme. It could be in their best interest to have a veteran quarterback who knows how to adjust to a new offense.

Why Deshaun Watson should not be the starter

An Achilles injury is tough to come back from, especially as a quarterback.

There are two recent examples of quarterbacks returning from this injury.

Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles in October 2023 with the Minnesota Vikings. The following season, he returned with the Atlanta Falcons and had one of his worst seasons, with a career-low 3,503 passing yards and a 6.9 yards per attempt (minimum 14 games).

Aaron Rodgers tore his in September 2023 with the New York Jets. The following year, he posted some of his worst numbers, including career lows in yards per attempt (6.7) and passer rating (90.4).

Watson's issue was that he wasn’t playing well before the injury. In 2024, he posted terrible stats, including 5.3 yards per attempt, well below his career average of 7.8, and a 21.0 quarterback rating.

Watson’s situation is also unique because he re-ruptured the same Achilles and needed a second surgery.

Why Shedeur Sanders should be the starter

Sanders might have untapped potential that the Browns could use to make him the starting quarterback.

In 2024 at Colorado, he led the Big 12 in passing yards (4,134) and touchdowns (37). His accuracy was his strongest suit, leading the country with a 74.0% completion rate, and his career completion rate of 71.8% is the best in college football history.

What will help him is getting first-team reps in camp, something he didn’t have last year.

Why Shedeur Sanders should not be the starter

Or maybe the inconsistencies we saw from Sanders last year are who he is as an NFL quarterback.

He showed some flashes, but he often struggled. Sanders did not meet the requirements to be a qualifying passer (minimum 238 pass attempts, Sanders had 212); if he had, he would have ranked last in several categories, including his 56.6% completion rate, 68.6 passer rating and -0.34 EPA per dropback.

We may need to give Sanders a slight pass because of the circumstances. Last season, Cleveland had one of the worst offensive lines in the league, ranking last with a 29.7% pressure rate, 80 quarterback hits allowed, and 26th with 51 sacks allowed.

Rebuilding the offensive line was a focus during the offseason, signing T Tytus Howard, G/C Elgton Jenkins, and G Zion Johnson. This could benefit whoever is behind center for the Browns.

Players Mentioned in this Article

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