Shedeur Sanders’ Browns story may not be over despite losing starting job

Browns name Deshaun Watson the starting quarterback over Shedeur Sanders

Multiple outlets reported that Watson will be the Week 1 starter, while Sanders backs him up. This is a pretty surprising decision considering that the veteran quarterback struggled mightily in Cleveland’s game against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday and was booed by the home crowd.

Watson then had a controversial news conference following the game where he fired back at fans and further wedged a gap between himself and the city. He won the job despite everything that was working against him in the competition, but it might not be a permanent decision.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Watson will have to keep proving himself throughout the season.

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This means that there could be a potential path to the field for Sanders if this plan blows up in Cleveland’s face. He showed flashes on Saturday, even earning praise from Browns general manager Andrew Berry, so the team knows they have a young quarterback with some upside if they need to turn to him.

Sanders seemingly improved from his rookie season, displaying good poise in the pocket and nice accuracy for a majority of the preseason. After his performance on Saturday and Watson’s problematic press conference, this decision is likely to be met with anger and confusion from some circles of the Browns fan base.

Watson has done little to prove that he’s capable of becoming the quarterback he once was with the Houston Texans. Whenever he’s been healthy since getting to Cleveland, which hasn’t been often, he’s been a complete shell of his former self.

It’s hard to see this situation playing out well for Watson, but he did just enough to win the starting job. He’ll have a chance to rewrite his story and get some redemption in Cleveland, but he has an uphill battle. If he struggles, then Sanders could be inserted, and Watson’s run with the Browns would likely be over.