Shedeur Sanders vs. Deshaun Watson Browns QB battle might last into preseason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cleveland Browns have one of the more interesting quarterback battles around the NFL.
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Deshaun Watson came into minicamp as the frontrunner for the QB1 job, but Shedeur Sanders has forced a decision to wait, as he’s making a strong run to start for Todd Monken’s offense. And the recent update only confirms that this QB battle isn’t ending anytime soon.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Browns QB competition is expected to last into the preseason games this August. It’s a good sign for Sanders, who is going to have a chance to prove his worth later this summer as he vies for the QB1 job.
“This is a true heated battle, and it’s only going to heat up in training camp,” Fowler said. “… I expected this to go into preseason games.”
With the Browns quarterback competition expected to last into the preseason, Monken’s decision for the team’s starting quarterback, which he initially planned to make for training camp, might drag out to the start of the regular season.
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This is a fascinating situation for the Browns. But which quarterback, Watson or Sanders, does this extended competition benefit the most?
Well, with Fowler noting Watson was the initial frontrunner and Sanders has recently “bridged the gap,” it’s clear this elongated competition is a good sign for the 2025 draft pick.
MORE: Taylen Green has a much higher ceiling for Browns than Shedeur Sanders
“Shedeur was decisive,” Fowler said. “I was told that he’s got a presence about him that the new coaching staff noticed they might’ve underestimated a little bit.”
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Monken hasn’t made a decision yet, and likely won’t until the preseason comes around, and he gets a better look at Sanders and Watson in live game action.
This wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for Sanders proving his worth this offseason. Even though he might not be the frontrunner still, his effort has pushed a decision back, making this QB competition a very fascinating one for the Browns this offseason.
