Browns reporter explains if Shedeur Sanders can still win starting job

Longtime Cleveland Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer caused quite a stir among the fan base when she reported that veteran Deshaun Watson "has the inside track to be named the Browns'" 2026 Week 1 starting quarterback over 2025 rookie Shedeur Sanders.

For a mailbag published on Sunday, Cabot expanded on the competition for the Cleveland starting job that isn't over quite yet. 

Is Deshaun Watson already the Browns' starter over Shedeur Sanders?

"My report stated that Watson emerged from voluntary minicamp with an edge over Shedeur Sanders in the competition, and that he has the inside track to be named QB1," Cabot wrote. "I did not report that he won the competition or that he’s going to be named the starter. Just because Watson has the edge right now doesn’t mean that Sanders can’t beat him out. Not everyone with the inside track wins the race. I did, however, also state my opinion that if they believe Watson is ahead, they should name him QB1 at least for organized team activities and minicamp because this new offense needs to jell for the season."

According to Cabot's initial story, first-year Browns head coach and advertised offensive guru Todd Monken "hopes to declare — or at least identify — his starter by the end of Browns minicamp June 9-11." Monken has since suggested that Sanders and Watson should do everything possible to ignore such outside noise during springtime workouts that often go largely ignored by casual fans.

Why Todd Monken may want to make early Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders decision

"They need the starting 11 — all learning a new scheme — working together and preparing for the season," Cabot added about the Browns. "There’s no time to waste by dividing up those precious first-team reps. Do you think Lamar Jackson is evenly splitting the first-team reps in OTAs with another quarterback? Joe Burrow? Patrick Mahomes? No. They’re getting the first-team offense ready to play. If they felt Sanders were ahead right now, they should give him the vast majority of the first-team reps in OTAs and minicamp. It’s about the process. Thirteen very important practices before the summer break. It’s go time."

Watson has made just 19 regular-season starts for the Browns since September 2022, and he was arguably the NFL's worst starting quarterback in the fall of 2024 before he suffered a torn right Achilles in October of that year. He then didn't play last season after he reinjured his Achilles during his recovery.  

For whatever reason, somebody within the Browns clearly wants it known that Watson would be the club's starter if the 2026 season got underway this coming weekend. Only time will tell if Sanders will be able to do anything over the next handful of months to leapfrog a healthy Watson on the Cleveland depth chart.