Deshaun Watson secured consecutive first-team reps over rookie Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland’s training camp quarterback rotation, signaling head coach Todd Monken favors the veteran. Despite Watson posting a 72.0 True Passer Rating in 2024, three straight efficient practices earned him exclusive starter work while Sanders—boasting an 81st-percentile 19.6 Breakout Age—waits on deck.
Watson is currently in the lead, but he is highly unlikely to be under center in the second half of the season. Regardless, this camp development will inevitably suppress Sanders’ superflex value. Expect this position competition to continue through the preseason games before Cleveland officially names its Week 1 starter against Jacksonville.
Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken said on Wednesday ...
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has thrown six ...
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson took all of the...
The Cleveland Browns have an open quarterback competition because Deshaun Watson failed to secure the job during spring practices. Watson finished his last active stretch with an 11.4 Fantasy Points Per Game average and a No. 37-ranked 72.0 True Passer Rating.
Challenger Shedeur Sanders offers a 90th-percentile 78.2 College QBR, but his 3.08-second average time to throw caps the fantasy utility of this entire depth chart. Sanders is the Browns QB to target in fantasy football superflex best ball and dynasty league formats.
Rumors out of Cleveland indicate the Browns are simply not sold on Shedeur Sanders as a franchise quarterback and are fielding trade calls for the second-year QB ahead of training camp. Despite taking initial first-team minicamp reps, Sanders remains locked in a fluid depth chart battle with Deshaun Watson after averaging a paltry 11.9 Fantasy Points Per Game across eight games last season.
It is a major concern for Sanders’ dynasty lifetime value that the front office is hesitant to anchor their future to a passer who paired a 78.2 College QBR with an NFL-long 3.08-second average time to throw in 2026. Traded or not, Sanders remains a priority stash in superflex fantasy football dynasty leagues and will continue to be a polarizing QB prospect for the foreseeable future.
Shedeur Sanders earned the initial first-team reps this week, and Browns HC Todd Monken thinks he is “being more decisive.” Sanders still faces a looming training camp rotation with Deshaun Watson. Watson managed just 11.4 Fantasy Points Per Game in seven starts last season before a second consecutive year ended on injured reserve.
This fluid depth chart offers very little job security to open the season, making both Sanders and Watson highly volatile selections in early fantasy football drafts. Sanders has youth on his side and is the preferred option for dynasty managers.
Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken welcomed a future meeting with Deion Sanders, publicly praising second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders for his dedicated offseason work ethic stating, “First of all, I can’t wait. I’ve got a lot of respect for Coach Sanders, obviously as a player, but also what he’s done as a coach, and obviously he’s done a great job with Shedeur as a father.” This coaching alignment matters because Sanders is locked in a direct training camp battle with Deshaun Watson to secure the team’s starting role for the 2026 season.
Todd Monken also said he won’t name a starting quarterback coming out of minicamp. While Watson possesses the veteran contract, Sanders offers fresh upside demonstrated by a 40-point performance vs. Tennessee in 2025 as well as a 69.3-percent completion percentage during his collegiate career. Watson is the favorite for early-season snaps, but Coach Sanders will be working behind the scenes to ensure that Shedeur Sanders is given an opportunity to perform at the NFL level again in 2026.
The propaganda campaign out of Cleveland is growing louder that Deshaun Watson will actually get the first crack at the starting job. Despite throwing for a meager 3,365 yards across 19 total games with the Browns and returning from dual Achilles tears, Todd Monken is dusting off tired offensive concepts in an attempt to salvage Watson’s career.
Unfortunately, Monken cannot ressurect peak DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller. Watson’s massive contract dictates that he will temporarily suppress the rookie’s breakout momentum to open the 2026 season, but his play style is from a different era, and his arm and legs are shot.
Meanwhile, second-year signal-caller Shedeur Sanders lurks with a superior 90th-percentile College QBR of 78.2. Sanders is a dynasty superflex sleeper as he is the favorite to be under center in the second half as the Browns not-so-tactfully tank for Arch Manning in 2027.
