Shedeur Sanders Starting, Deshaun Watson Benching Eyed After Browns vs. Bucs, New NFL Rumors Reveal

The Cleveland Browns are expected to reexamine their quarterback situation after their Week 2 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Ian Rapoport of ESPN and NFL Network.

"While no firm decision has been made for Week 3, the belief is that the first two games would serve as a natural evaluation point," Rapoport said. "In other words, the Browns could use the return to Cleveland for their Week 3 home opener and a two-game sample size as the impetus for a quarterback change."

Deshaun Watson will start Sunday for the second straight week. Should the Browns go in a different direction, Shedeur Sanders would be the next man up.

A quarterback change felt inevitable as soon as Cleveland announced Watson as the starter, and the team's 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars only reinforced the idea.

Watson went 16-of-22 for 205 yards, one touchdown and an interception, and he was sacked five times.

▶️Full Browns-Jaguars Recap

05:59

Since earning his last Pro Bowl nod in 2020, the 31-year-old missed two full seasons. When he has played, he has looked much worse in comparison to his peak with the Houston Texans.

Watson has averaged 178.5 yards per contest and posted an 81.3 passer rating in his 20 starts on the Browns. His support among Cleveland fans has totally eroded as well.

Maybe Watson lights it up against the Buccaneers and presents his team with a dilemma. Assuming that doesn't happen, it will be harder to justify keeping him QB1.

Sanders didn't excel as a rookie. Across the Browns' final seven games, he threw for 1,353 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 59.2 percent of his passes.

But Sanders is also the closest thing Cleveland has to a long-term solution under center, and he showed enough in 2025 to warrant another extended look.

The Browns have two first-round picks in the 2027 NFL draft, and their own could fall within the top five. They need to have a firm idea on Sanders' talent level ahead of the draft so they know whether they should target a quarterback early on Day 1.

Moving Sanders up the depth chart as early as Week 3 would help to fulfill that objective.