Shedeur Sanders spent the offseason competing with Deshaun Watson to convince Todd Monken to name him the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns for the 2026 NFL season. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for Sanders, as Monken named Watson the starting quarterback after the Browns’ second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. It was a huge setback for Sanders, who had started the last seven games of the 2025 NFL season after Dillon Gabriel’s injury.
However, everything wasn’t lost for Sanders, as Watson entered the 2026 NFL season with a tremendous amount of pressure to perform and a bad performance could have led to a change in the QB1 situation for the Browns. Monken’s side played the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first regular-season game of the 2026 season.
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The start was far from perfect for Watson, who struggled to find his feet after returning to the NFL after nearly two years of absence due to an Achilles tendon injury. This led to fans calling Monken to make a change at the position. But, Monken decided to stick with Watson and the decision has paid off so far.
The veteran bounced back with a solid performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the Browns registering their first win of the 2026 season. It was reported that the Browns re-evaluated the QB position after Week 2 as well and Watson was able to keep his place safe.
Watson then delivered another commanding performance against the Carolina Panthers, throwing for 144 yards and two touchdowns. The Browns registered a 21-18 win over the Panthers.
However, Watson’s solid performances have led to trade rumors surrounding Sanders, who has hardly seen any action during the first three games, particularly with injuries affecting several quarterbacks around the NFL. But, it’s been clearly reported that the Browns have no plans to trade Sanders and intend to keep him as the backup quarterback.
The Browns will face the Pittsburgh Steelers in their fourth game of the season on Thursday, October 1.
