Shedeur Sanders trailing Deshaun Watson in Browns QB1 battle despite Andrew Berry’s support

At a time when teams are beginning to show their first moves, Andrew Berry‘s Cleveland Browns face a tough dilemma. Will Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson be their starter? The veteran could have the edge over his second-year teammate.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported that the former Houston Texans quarterback came out of minicamp with a better chance of being the QB1 for Todd Monken. Most of the snaps with the first team went to Watson, a clear indication of the direction the franchise is heading in this new era.

Sanders, for his part, will need to step up his efforts to compete for the spot. Behind him, Dillon Gabriel is still in the mix, along with recently drafted 6th-round pick No. 182 Taylen Green.

Watson as the starter for the Browns

Deshaun Watson’s last start at the Dawg Pound took place on October 20, 2024, against the Cincinnati Bengals, a game that ended abruptly when he suffered a season-ending torn Achilles. Before the injury, he completed 15 of 17 passes for 128 yards, recording a solid 88.2% completion rate but failing to find the end zone.

Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns.

If Watson is confirmed as the starter, he will be tasked with leading one of the youngest offensive units in the league. Following a 2026 Draft where Cleveland selected eight offensive players—including high-profile rookies like wide receiver Denzel Boston (22) and tackle Spencer Fano (21)—Watson must provide veteran stability for a roster teeming with inexperienced talent.

See also

Browns GM Andrew Berry lets KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston know Jerry Jeudy is their ‘bell cow receiver’

With young stars like Harold Fannin Jr. and Cedric Tillman taking on larger roles, the pressure will be on Watson to “carry” this revamped group and prove he can still execute at an elite level after his lengthy recovery.

Andrew Berry’s support for Shedeur

Despite the parity that currently exists in the Cleveland Browns’ QB room, Shedeur Sanders will clearly need to further elevate his abilities if he wants to earn the starting job. Andrew Berry hopes that in his second season in the NFL, he can continue learning and refining his game to achieve strong results.

“To take another step and keep growing and learning. I think he’s had a really nice offseason. He did a really nice job at voluntary minicamp,“ the GM said during a conversation with Tony Rizzo.

“I think his improvements in decision making and pocket management by the end of the year and certainly what we’ve seen so far in a very short spring have been positive. And I expect him to have more command of the offense and better ball security and situational awareness as we go into Year 2.”