Shedeur Sanders-Deshaun Watson QB1 Battle Addressed by Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam at NFL Meetings

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam suggested Monday that veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson has a chance to be the team's starter in 2026 after missing all of last season with a torn Achilles.

Speaking to reporters at the NFL league meeting about Watson's starting prospects, Haslam said: "Deshaun has a great chance, fresh start, offensive-minded coach who has, in his past, been able to work with all kinds of different quarterbacks and make them successful. So Deshaun has a great chance to do that now."

Watson's main competition for the starting job is likely 2025 fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders, who started the Browns' final seven games last season, posting a 3-4 record.

In 2022, the Browns made the controversial decision to not only acquire Watson in a trade with the Houston Texans, but also give him a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract.

Prior to the trade, Watson sat out the entire 2021 season amid sexual misconduct allegations from more than 20 women. The majority of the lawsuits filed against Watson were settled out of court, and he was subsequently suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 season.

From 2022 to 2024, Watson started 19 games for the Browns, going 9-10 and completing 61.2 percent of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while also rushing for 465 and three scores.

The production was a far cry from what Watson accomplished in four seasons with the Texans when he was a three-time Pro Bowler who went 28-25 as a starter.

Watson also put up impressive numbers in Houston, completing 67.8 percent of his passing attempts for 1,4539 yards, 104 touchdowns and 36 interceptions to go along with 1,677 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground.

The 30-year-old veteran never came close to that level in Cleveland, and now he is coming off a devastating injury.

At last year's league meeting, Haslam called the Watson trade a "big swing and miss," noting that the Browns had to "dig ourselves out of that hole" as a result.

He spoke more positively about Watson and his future in Cleveland this time around, leaving fans and observers to ponder whether that means Haslam doesn't view Sanders as the long-term answer under center.

Three of the Browns' five wins last season came with Sanders as the starter, but his play left plenty to be desired at times, as he completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and rushed for 169 yards and one score.

Cleveland likely needs more mistake-free play from its quarterback in order to be successful in 2026, and it can be argued that Watson has a better chance of providing that than Sanders.

Regardless of who wins the starting job in 2026, it is possible that none of the Browns' current quarterbacks are on the roster come 2027, as the 2027 NFL draft seems like the most logical spot for Cleveland to target its next franchise quarterback.