Albert Breer explains why Browns may make this Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders decision

Recent reports have indicated that veteran Deshaun Watson began the first full week of May as the favorite to emerge as the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback over polarizing 2025 rookie Shedeur Sanders.

For a piece published on Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated expanded on why first-year Browns head coach Todd Monken may soon make a decision that will be unpopular among some members of the Cleveland fan base. 

Browns "owe it to themselves" to start Deshaun Watson over Shedeur Sanders?

"The Browns are in for three first-round picks and $230M on Watson," Breer wrote. "They’ve been through four offensive coordinators and two head coaches over his five years. So, as I see it, they owe it to themselves to find out."

Breer was referencing how the Browns sent multiple valuable draft assets to the Houston Texans in March 2022 so that Cleveland could acquire Watson and then sign him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract. Since that deal was inked, Watson has made just 19 regular-season starts for the Browns. He suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in October 2024, and he then didn't play last season after he reinjured his Achilles during his recovery.  

That said, Watson reportedly was Cleveland's best signal-caller during the voluntary minicamp that was held in late April. The emergence of that story could lead one to believe that certain individuals within the Browns want fans to understand that Watson could enter September as the team's first-choice quarterback.

One other reason the Browns may start Deshaun Watson over Shedeur Sanders

"It’d be pretty easy to turn to Sanders if it doesn’t work," Breer added. "If you go the other way and start Sanders, you probably aren’t going to Watson thereafter. Bottom line, I can see why (Browns co-owner) Jimmy Haslam, (general manager) Andrew Berry and Monken would just want to make sure, once and for all, that the old Watson isn’t still in there somewhere."

The "old Watson" earned three Pro Bowl nods while serving as Houston's QB1 from 2017 through the 2020 season. He has not yet reclaimed that form while with the Browns, but it sounds like he will get an opportunity to do just that later this year.