The Cleveland Browns may be ready to go back to the well one more time with regard to Deshaun Watson.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler suggested Friday that Watson appears to be the early leader in the Browns’ quarterback competition against Shedeur Sanders. Fowler noted, however, that the decision is far from final.
“Deshaun Watson, my sense, is he has the leg up on that quarterback competition right now, but the Browns have not made any sort of firm determination yet,” Fowler said on ESPN’s “NFL Live” Friday. “They like Watson’s experience. Watson believes that Todd Monken’s offense, which has some concepts of like the air raid out of college which he’s run in the past, maybe some room to freelance a little bit out of the pocket — he likes that. He feels like it’s a fit. But he’s got to go win the job. He hasn’t done that yet. Shedeur Sanders has had his moments this spring.”
Fowler: “Deshaun Watson, my sense is he has the leg up on that quarterback competition right now, but the Browns have not made any sort of firm determination yet.” https://t.co/Yep3Xcz9uc
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) May 29, 2026
There have been some hints this offseason that the Browns are actually leaning toward giving the job to Watson. The 30-year-old has offered little in the past when starting for Cleveland and is coming off two Achilles tears. On the other hand, he is the only quarterback on Cleveland’s roster with a history of performing at a Pro Bowl level, even if that has not been the case since 2020.
Watson himself firmly believes he can recapture that form and just needs the chance to show it. He might just get that chance.
Watson last played in 2024. In seven games that season, he threw for just 1,148 yards and five touchdowns to go along with three interceptions.
