Cleveland Browns Have Named Deshaun Watson as Their Starting Quarterback over Shedeur Sanders

Many people believed he had lost the position permanently. That he wouldn’t be able to get his job back and for good reasons. Nevertheless, the team made a decision that has some fans upset. The Cleveland Browns have named Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback over Shedeur Sanders. Unnecessary controversy has surrounded Sanders since the Browns drafted him in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. And it continues to dog him now. The second-year quarterback provided a spark for the struggling team last season. He took over after Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion.

Now he’s going to have to sit behind Watson as the team also said this would not be a week-to-week decision. So, the job is Watson’s to lose. And many people feel that he will do just that. When he was the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans his playing ability was electric. In his four seasons with the Texans, he went to the Pro Bowl three times and earned a league passing title in 2020. However, after his blockbuster trade to the Browns things went downhill.

He left Texas under a cloud of suspicion after 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. However, no criminal charges were pursued. Despite that controversy the Browns went on to give the Texans a plethora of draft picks including three first-rounders. Watson was given a five-year, $230 million extension that was fully guaranteed. Nevertheless, the NFL suspended Watson for the first 11 games of the 2022 NFL season and slapped him with a $5 million fined for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy. Ironically, he was eligible to play in Week 13 against his former team, the Houston Texans.

Cleveland Browns Have Named Deshaun Watson as Their Starting Quarterback over Shedeur Sanders

But it’s clear Watson has not been the player he was in Houston since joining the Browns. His stats have been less than stellar. And he has suffered two major injuries since being there. He had a should injury that required surgery and an Achilles injury that required two surgeries. He missed part of the 2024 season and all of 2025. Hence why the Browns used quarterbacks Gabriel and Sanders.

Gabriel failed to impress so when he suffered his concussion, Sanders finished playing the 2025 season. Sanders started in seven games and won three of them. The number of passing attempts in most of those games were in the twenties, the Browns chose to run the ball more often. At any rate, Sanders could represent hope for the future as Browns fans are ready to move on from Watson. He will have to return to his Texans’ form to keep the starting job. While Sanders waits patiently in the wings.

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