Browns reporter shares new Deshaun Watson concern amid Shedeur Sanders competition

Multiple reports shared throughout the summer have indicated that veteran Deshaun Watson remains the favorite to win the Cleveland Browns' Week 1 starting quarterback job over second-year pro Shedeur Sanders.

Long before Watson found himself trying to resurrect his career, his 2023 campaign ended prematurely because of a shoulder injury. During the latest edition of the "Orange and Brown Talk" podcast, Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer suggested that Watson's shoulder wasn't at its best by the time springtime workouts wrapped up in June. 

Did Deshaun Watson's arm get worse during springtime practices?

"I think he needs to get some proper rest over the break because I thought his arm seemed to tail off a little," Cabot said about Watson. "Maybe he got the slightest bit of fatigue in his surgically repaired shoulder."

For a variety of reasons, Watson has made just 19 regular-season starts since September 2021. He hasn't taken an in-game snap since he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in October 2024, as he later needed another surgery after he reinjured the Achilles. 

Watson recently returned to the Cleveland area to work out at the Browns' facility. Additionally, he and Sanders are expected to throw passes to teammates during workouts held in South Florida later in July.

Browns made a "significant" Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson statement in June

Meanwhile, much has been said and written about how Sanders closed the gap in the quarterback competition and impressed members of the Browns' coaching staff during the final weeks of the offseason program. During the podcast, Cabot hinted that first-year Browns head coach Todd Monken delivered quite a statement about the QB battle during the team's mandatory minicamp in June. 

"I thought it was very significant that when we showed up for the very first day of mandatory minicamp, the player taking most of the first-team reps on that day, on the first day of mandatory minicamp, was Shedeur Sanders. I just thought that was significant," Cabot said.

Of course, those reps won't matter all that much by the time Sanders and Watson attempt to complete passes against the Chicago Bears in Cleveland's preseason opener on Aug. 15. Then again, Cabot's comments could lead one to wonder how Watson's shoulder will be feeling by the time that Saturday afternoon arrives.