Shedeur Sanders' Playing Time Predicted by NFL Exec Amid Browns QB Battle With Deshaun Watson

As he enters his second year in the NFL, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is locked in a battle with veteran Deshaun Watson for the starting position.

ESPN's Dan Graziano noted that "with two first-round picks in next year's quarterback-rich draft, the Browns likely want to at least give Sanders a look this season so they know whether he has the potential to be their long-term solution."

Graziano spoke to an AFC front office executive who agreed that the second-year signal-caller has to see the field in 2026 even if he loses the training camp competition to Watson.

"They have to play Shedeur at some point," the exec said. "They know Watson isn't going to be there [beyond this season]."

Since arriving to Cleveland in 2022, Watson has played in a total of just 19 games. He missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from back-to-back Achilles surgeries. While he has the chance to win the starting job over Sanders, Graziano noted that first-year Browns head coach Todd Monken "does not have the history" with him that former head coach Kevin Stefanski had.

Some told Graziano that it would only make sense to start Watson if Monken feels he gives Cleveland the best chance to win games. However, an AFC scout floated the idea that Watson shouldn't be on the roster at all if he loses the competition to Sanders.

"My question is whether they keep Deshaun on the team if they go with [Sanders]," the scout said.

The Browns owe Watson $46 million this season no matter what, so releasing him would not be a viable option even if he isn't the starter for this season.

"Releasing him would result in a completely untenable $127 million in dead money cap charges," Graziano explained. "They could split that up, taking about $41 million in dead money this year and the remaining roughly $86 million in 2027; but those are the same cap charges they'll have for him anyway if he's on the team all season and his contract voids, as it's scheduled to in March. Even if he doesn't play, they're better off keeping Watson and designating him as a post-June 1 cut next spring, to spread that $86 million out over two years."

Graziano went on to add that the Browns "aren't going to decide this based on public perception," so he predicted that Watson will be named the starter for Week 1 while adding, "I'm very much of the belief that Sanders will play a representative number of games this season, even if he doesn't get to play the first one. The Browns need to know what they have before next year's draft."