The biggest storyline of the Cleveland Browns offseason is the quarterback competition, and right now it is breaking in a direction that will surprise a lot of people. Deshaun Watson, not rookie Shedeur Sanders, reportedly has the early edge heading through OTAs.
Watson, 30, has connected with new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, whose scheme features concepts Watson has run and excelled at in the past. That chemistry matters, and it is showing up on the practice field.
Sanders, meanwhile, reportedly has not played well enough to lock down the starting job. The rookie has flashed, but Watson appears to have real momentum.
The OTA Reps Tell a Murky Story
The day-to-day reps have been a bit of a seesaw. In early individual drills, Watson has taken the lead. But during install drills, the roles flipped, with Sanders working with the first team and Watson running with the second unit.
That kind of rotation is normal this time of year, and it is why reading too much into May practices is a mistake. Still, the consensus from media members watching the open sessions is that Watson looked like QB1 during the latest practice.
Monken has said he would like to name a starter before training camp, or at the latest before Week 1 against the Jaguars. So this competition has a real deadline, and the clock is ticking on Sanders to make a move.
My Take on Where This Goes
Honestly, this is a strange situation for Cleveland. Watson’s contract has been one of the worst in NFL history, and the fan base has been ready to move on for a while. Shedeur Sanders was supposed to be the fresh face who saved the position.
But football is football, and if Watson is truly the better fit in Monken’s system right now, the coaches have to play the guy giving them the best chance to win. You cannot hand a rookie the keys just because the public wants it.
That said, do not bury Sanders yet. Rookies often start slow in their first NFL offseason, and the install reps with the first team suggest the staff still wants to see what he can do. A strong training camp could flip this entire conversation.
For now, Watson has the momentum and Sanders has work to do. The Browns wanted a real competition, and they are getting one. The answer just is not the one Cleveland fans were hoping for.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
