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Pat McAfee & Adam Schefter Make Feelings Clear Over Deshaun Watson’s Browns Future

Originally posted on ClevelandBrownsCommunity
By Akanksha Biradar | Last updated Apr 1, 2026 9:51 AM ET

The Browns have an extremely big unknown heading into the 2026 season. Neither the franchise nor fans can single out their starting quarterback; a fight that has now come down to the veteran Deshaun Watson and Year 2 QB Shedeur Sanders. Experts Pat McAfee and ESPN‘s Adam Schefter presented quite the take.

“I think Deshaun Watson being the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns is absolutely on the table,” Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show. “It feels like it’s moving towards that right now.”

This unexpected development began when Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who had called Watson a “swing and a miss” trade last year, showed renewed faith in the quarterback. Earlier this week, Haslam said that the franchise is “cautiously optimistic” about him and that he has a “great chance” to be QB1.

“I think Deshaun Watson being the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns is absolutely on the table. It feels like it’s moving towards that right now,” – @AdamSchefter via @PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/QbY1RaU2Sv
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) March 31, 2026

This sudden change of heart is eye-catching, given how disappointing the QB has been of late. The Browns had hoped to tap into his Houston Texans potential, having led the league in passing yards in 2020 (4,823 yards). But two ACL tears have limited Watson to playing only 19 games since 2022. He missed the entirety of the last season.

Haslam seems extremely optimistic about Watson’s return. The Browns owner said that Watson is “looking good” and has shed some pounds. But this spring is the first time in a long time that Cleveland will get to see the veteran at work. But there is a good chance that the franchise will get its money’s worth if Watson impresses the staff in the offseason.

Meanwhile, the young QB is gaining support to be the Browns’ QB1 this season, since he has been the most active candidate in the room.

Sanders had his bad times last year, since he was a rookie, but he provided some stability at quarterback, appearing in eight games. At the moment, he has the best chance at leading Cleveland’s offense because there is no solid competition from anyone apart from Watson. Pat McAfee made his case for Sanders.

Pat McAfee bats for Shedeur Sanders instead of Deshaun Watson

Sanders still has a lot to prove in his second year as the starting quarterback. And that’s why he’ll give his all in this fight, because he has to fight a 30-year-old Watson for the job. Especially because of how fragile his career longevity still is at Cleveland.

This article first appeared on ClevelandBrownsCommunity and was syndicated with permission.

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