Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson emerged as the two clear front-runners during the offseason to lead the Cleveland Browns in the 2026 NFL season. Todd Monken, who took over the Browns in his first NFL head-coaching job, was in search of the right man to solve the franchise’s quarterback issues. After evaluating the two quarterbacks during the offseason, training camp and preseason, Monken decided to choose Watson over Sanders.
Was it confirmed whether Watson would remain the Browns starter for the entire 2026 NFL season? The answer is no. Ian Rapoport reported that the Browns would reevaluate the quarterback position after their first two regular-season games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Sanders could get a chance against the Carolina Panthers if Watson failed to meet Monken’s expectations.
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The first two games were a mixed start for Watson, as he struggled against the Jaguars but bounced back in the second game against the Buccaneers to retain his starting job for the Panthers game. Watson picked up where he left off against the Panthers, throwing for 144 yards and two touchdowns against the Panthers.
Watson’s performances have led to trade rumors surrounding Sanders, who has seen limited action during the 2026 season. Jeremy Fowler recently reported that the Browns “would probably welcome a deal at the right price” for Sanders, which is different from what Mary Kay Cabot and Cleveland.com had reported, as they had indicated that the Browns had no intentions of trading Sanders.
Now, there is another update on Watson and the Browns’ quarterback situation. In an ESPN report, an NFC executive said, “There’s never a scenario where you pull a healthy QB you’re paying $40-46 million a year within the first six weeks of the season to tank.”
“Especially if [the team is] showing signs of life. If it’s Thanksgiving and they stink and Watson stinks, then that’s different,” he added.
Watson might be the clear QB1 for the Browns and Monken’s preferred starter for now, but he’ll have to produce solid performances week in and week out to retain that status.
