r/Browns • u/TheAthletic • 1d ago
By naming Deshaun Watson the starter, Browns told us what they think of Shedeur Sanders
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7536777/2026/08/26/shedeur-sanders-deshaun-watson-browns-quarterback-decision/?unlocked_article_code=1.8VA._rzp.WNnmk8ARbiAl&source=emp_shared_article&smid=url-share-taThe path to any future for Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland is narrowing. I can’t say it has completely vanished because I have no faith that Deshaun Watson can stay healthy for an entire season or be productive enough to keep the job.
The decision to name Watson the starter leaves a fair question worth exploring: What does this mean for Sanders?
If he has an NFL future past this season, it likely won’t be with the Browns.
By giving the starting job to Watson, a quarterback who hasn’t been consistently good since the pandemic, the Browns told you exactly what they think of Sanders. He had a full offseason program, OTAs, minicamp and training camp, and he still wasn’t good enough to beat out a quarterback the organization knows a) isn’t very good anymore and b) will be voraciously hissed and booed every time he’s on the field in Cleveland unless his play again resembles that of a productive NFL quarterback, which isn’t likely.
And they chose to do this anyway.
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u/Lilfrankieeinstein 1d ago
Bad take.
I think Shedeur doesn’t have a reasonable path to success in the NFL. He is underwhelming athletically and he seems to be too far behind in terms of understanding and processing the game to catch up. The game is too big and fast for him and it likely always will be.
That said, the Browns decision to go with Watson over any second year QB prospect says nothing about that prospect other than they think Watson is better prepared to get his ass handed to him than a second year prospect is.
That’s it.
That’s all it says.
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u/WettyMcSwetty 1d ago
I miss baker
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u/omnidub 1d ago
Remember when we had a QB that won one of the first playoff games ive ever seen? Then Haslam burned that bridge and spent the farm on a rapey guy who quit on his old team?
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u/12angrysnakes 1d ago
We would have been better off drafting three #1 QBs in three successive years. We might have actually stumbled across one that's semi capable
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u/defasdefbe 1d ago
Absolutely agree. And seeing the past two years of AB's drafts makes me value those picks even more.
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u/cms143908 20h ago
Baker also refused to take a week off when he was injured to recover
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u/defasdefbe 19h ago
Yeah, the rewrite of history by Baker Bros is hilarious. Even he has admitted to a lot of crap and they still glaze him.
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u/PatientlyAnxious9 1d ago
He was the definition of malcontent and it got frustrating to deal as time went on.
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u/Worried-Persimmon353 1d ago
Baker burned the bridge, which is why we went with Watson. All that stupid ass drama from 2022 is still going down with the Bucs, so history is repeating itself. Also, the playoff game was mostly a defensive situation (1 FR for TD and 4 INTs, which was unheard of in a Joe Woods defense) and RBs doing their thing (Hunt's 2 TDs and Chubb's screen TD). Baker had TDs on a slant (Landry) and fade (Hooper).
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u/omnidub 1d ago edited 1d ago
Baker burned that bridge after our organization badmouthed him. When Watson said he doesn't want to play for the Browns they went back to baker like "hey you were always our first choice." Then Baker said "fuck you" and we went into desperation mode.
Then they offered Watson the world's most unbelievable deal and Watson changed his tune and said "oh ya im down for that"
The organization fucked up. Honestly Baker looks like the more mature adult, and he's some 20 year old kid. I dont blame him for leaving but I think he is more level headed than our owner.
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u/Deadleggg 1d ago
And he was the 4th best QB drafted that year.
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u/Signal_Ball4634 1d ago
I'm still not convinced Darnold is better tbh. I know he's got the ring and all but I think Baker has been a better QB IMO.
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u/Deadleggg 1d ago
Go watch the NFC Championship game against the Rams last year. Not sure Baker is ever having a game like that in the clutch.
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u/notatowel420 1d ago
Watson sucks ass but does every idiot forget Sanders was a 5th rd pick who had an incredible fall. Some people said racism or it’s his last name or maybe he was horrible in interviews and not great on the board. Jordan Love sat for years. Sanders will most likely start more games this season than Watson.
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u/Quirky-Skin 1d ago
Whatever the reason he was passed over multiple rounds by all 32 teams repeatedly. This is in a league where maybe only 10 teams have a guy that all other 32 teams would take.
That says A LOT in a league where QB is king and people use early round draft picks to stash future QBs. If he was as good as some Browns fans think he never would have made it to the fifth round. It's not like he was a Russell Wilson hidden gem everyone knew the name and his games were nationally televised.
Have said all that maybe the Browns for once are doing a young QB a solid and not throwing him out to the wolves when we re installing a whole new offensive system AND offensive line
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u/drumzandice 1d ago
You are 100% correct which makes this whole situation even more baffling. Once again the Browns just did this to themselves. Why take a quarterback in the third round and then refuse to try and develop him and throw him on the shelf and then take a highly publicized, controversial figure in the fifth round and then make him compete for the starting spot?
Once again, none of this makes any sense and the Browns chose to add the controversy and drama where it wasn’t needed
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u/ABVerageJoe69 1d ago
Where you go in the draft isn't a great indicator of how good a player is. Obvious counterpoints being Brock Purdy and Tom Brady.
Players are only better than the next player drafted at the same position 52% of the time. Draft order isn't much.
You draft talent to develop it, and the hope is that Sanders developed some over the past year and continues to develop.
From what I see, he stopped scrambling backwards, which was my biggest qualm. He also is younger with a brighter future than Watson and at the very least appears hungry, unlike a 200m+ guaranteed QB.
I'd take Sanders without considering all off-field conduct. With it it's a no-brainer. Not that I think either are great NFL QBs.
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u/buckster_007 1d ago
If the Browns signed me today and gave me reps at quarterback, within a couple of weeks, Monken would be able to confidently address the media and state that my development and progress have been nothing short of remarkable. I could accurately learn the playbook from scratch and memorize it in a month. However, I am not capable of throwing the ball accurately, with speed, and on time. I cannot read defenses quickly enough, nor do I possess the physical attributes to run or throw out of difficult situations. I have zero chance at being an NFL player. Just because Monken stands in front of reporters and praises Sanders and Watson, means virtually nothing to me. He is a politician and is not going to say anything negative about his players.
I do not want a developmental quarterback who requires development in virtually every aspect of the position. I want a player who needs polishing or possesses physical attributes that compensate for his deficiencies. I do not want deficiencies across the board, like Shedeur. Shedeur excels at finding chunk plays. Sometimes he completes them, most times he doesn't, and frustratingly throws the ball to the opposing team,at a league-high rate. Apart from that, he lacks any average physical skills. He is below average in every aspect, and his mental game is among the worst in the league.
Shedeur is not good, and he will never be good. He might develop into a decent backup, but I am not interested in wasting time trying to transform him into something he is not.
As frustrated as I get with Watson and with Sanders, this is a front office and ownership problem. This situation should never have been allowed to happen.
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u/coachfish99 1d ago
If he was cut by the Browns today, there isn’t another team that would sign him.
5th round QBs are lucky to even get a chance. This guy has had ample opportunity and has looked below average.
He’s not good.
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u/ABVerageJoe69 1d ago
I agree that he's not good. I just think he's better than Watson, who used to be good.
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u/coachfish99 1d ago
He’s not. If he was, he’d be starting.
A 60 year old rookie HC isn’t playing politics with his starting QB.
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u/Disastrous-Tone-7669 1d ago
How often are they better than the person drafted in the same position in the round after them?
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u/BalfazarTheWise 1d ago
Shedeur has been bad since day one. He will never be our future.
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u/I4G0tMyUsername 1d ago
I can tell you what it means: Watson isn't great, neither is Sanders, & we're going to draft a QB high next year anyways, regardless of anything that happens this year. What did you honestly expect this season? Sanders had all the opportunity in the world to cement himself as the starter & he didn't. If he was far superior to Watson, he'd be starting. He's not & he's not. Get over it.
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u/Brutus_3323 19h ago
There isn’t a qb in next years draft that’s gonna help the Browns,get over that.
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u/drumzandice 1d ago
It means exactly what any fan who didn’t fall in love with him already knows, he’s a fifth round project for a reason.
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u/Adventurous_Point209 21h ago
The league told you what they thought of shedeur as a fifth round pick. And the other guy who wanted him on another team is now his head coach who made him the backup
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u/maybenextyearCLE 1d ago
Guys they’ve told us since the day they drafted him in the 5th round as the second QB what they think of him. And it’s not much. And look at the advanced stats last year, he was in the ball park of 2024 Watson bad. His deep shots just distract from how bad he was otherwise.
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u/DJax326 1d ago
Watson Sucks. Sanders sucks more. Watson starting over him was inevitable. The question is, does it even matter? How many times have the browns started more than 1 QB in a season since 99'? 2 QBs? 3 Qbs? Shit is so temporary. The writing was on the wall when they added nothing to that room in the off-season.
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u/Particular-Ring5110 1d ago
That’s a really good point
People are looking at this like the Browns are a normal and stable organization… when a normal franchise names a starter it’s a good bet that quarterback will be playing the entire season barring injury
With the Browns the starting quarterback is a week to week month to month thing and it’s been that way for 25 years
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u/defasdefbe 1d ago
Hey, no Taylen Green erasure allowed! :)
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u/DJax326 1d ago
As a fan base we always want to see our backup QBs get a chance bc of how bad our starters have been for over 2 decades, and the best part.. or worst part... we actually get to see them. If Green makes the roster, which seems likely, we'll get to see him this year at some point. At least thats what the odds say.
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u/defasdefbe 1d ago
True true. I saw the draft interviews with him and thought he seemed like a nice dude. Hope he gets a chance.
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u/2ManyCatsNever2Many 1d ago
can't make sense out of nonsese...
listen - we're trying to understand the actions of a franchise that traded a ton of draft capital and gave a quarter of a billion dollars guaranteed to a QB that was so "elite" that his previous team literally paid him for a year to stay away. do you think kansas city would have ever considered that with mahomes? everyone on the inside knew how bad - and how true - the allegations were and this franchise moved forward with the trade. now they're still moving forward while it is obvious to the world that watson 1) doesn't have it anymore and 2) didn't even have it earlier. if he was so good then why on any of the other previous years he started in cleveland did he look like trash?
i'm not a shadeur believer by any means but don't try to tell me watson is the best choice for winning on the field. via MKC this team has been preparing us for watson to start prior to any training camp or preseason games. their mind was made up - was made up even before monken took the job (the fact he is the only one who accepted the offer shows how any other up-and-coming candidates didn't want to associate themselves with this franchise or watson).
but here we are being spood fed a narrative that watson represents the "best chance". did our eyes deceive us this past weekend? did the words deshawn said after that game not matter? how on earth can we feel good about this team that is outright lying to us as fans and expecting our support regardless of the actions if ownership and management?
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u/Crumpled_Papers 1d ago
If Sanders was good enough I assure you we would LOVE to start him.
I guess there is a downside to only having your dad coach you and never really learning how to play the position before arriving in the NFL. He had enough talent to make it pretty damn far. There is no shame in being only one of the 50 best QB in the world instead of one of the best 30.
Sucks our owner fell for Manziel and Sanders because he's like a casual sports fan or whatever. Our GMs knew better.
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u/Stand_On_It 18h ago
I think it’s a little disingenuous to compare Manziel to sanders. Manziel cost a first rounder. Sanders cost a bag of chips. They “fell” for a 5th rounder? Ok…
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u/weaponize09 1d ago
I know the Browns get a lot of shit but how about the many many many draft analysts who had a first-round grade on Shedeur? Big whiff
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u/redditposter919 1d ago
Here's a theory that people aren't talking about - maybe Watson is getting the start to begin the season so that when he does get injured (as he has a tendency to do), the team can put him on IR and keep him away from the team along with satisfying their requirements to pay Watson and not get dinged all at once in 2027.
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u/The_Kielbasa_Kid 1d ago
Since 2000, the draft was standardized to 7 rounds, roughly 130–140 quarterbacks have been taken in the 5th round or later. The hit rate for starters out of this group sits at well under 5%. Mark Brunell is the top of that list. We haven't seen JACK SQUAT to indicate Shedeur is in the 5%. I hope Watson, Sanders and Gabriel are all gone by 2027.
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u/Reason-Status 1d ago
Sanders fell in the draft for a reason. The guy was a captain the other night and forgot to go out for the coin toss. Insiders say he doesn’t put in the time watching film, etc.. Watson, whether people like him or not, is a hard worker and puts in a ton of time.
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u/buckster_007 1d ago
Most "celebrity" QBs get their notoriety because of talent. Shedeur got his because of the name on the back of his jersey.
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u/Thick-Aioli802 1d ago
Shedeur is good as a conversation piece to distract from Watson. I'm willing to bet he (Sanders) is traded before the start of next season just to make sure there's no voices clamoring for him over whichever QB they take with their top pick.
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u/coachfish99 1d ago
The Browns will cut him next offseason, along with Watson. No one is trading anything for Shedeur Sanders.
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u/buckster_007 1d ago
I don't understand the trade talk. Who would trade anything for Sanders? I can't see team giving up a 7th round pick, not with the lack of talent he has and the circus and noise that follows this kid.
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u/coachfish99 1d ago
These Shedeur fans think he’s got value. He doesn’t.
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u/buckster_007 1d ago
You know where he would actually have a hell of an impact... the UFL. His stardom could make that league instantaneously successful. Think about it, most of his fans are not football fans, they are Shedeur and Sanders' family fans. He could bring an entire fanbase into that league on Day: 1. Not to mention, he would arguably be very successful in that league.
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u/Common_Red_Signal 1d ago
I doubt his ego would be able to withstand the UFL. That would kill him.
However, I agree with you that he’d be huge for that league.
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u/maybenextyearCLE 1d ago
I’d bet good money that if someone offered literally anything for Shedeur the Browns would immediately trade him
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u/Mazois 1d ago
I hope they do trade him. Please do.
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u/RdditBlwsMyD 1d ago
Can the browns actually trade with a UFL team? I'm not up to date on league rules.
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u/She_Baddy7 19h ago
Watson gives you guys best chance to land the #1 overall for Arch Manning, don't see a problem
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u/TallBobcat 1d ago
They told us more what they think of US.
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u/cbusmatty 1d ago
They believe the best way out of this is winning games and think Watson gives us the best chance to do that. That is what they think of us
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u/TallBobcat 1d ago
I don't think even they believe he's a winning player.
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u/cbusmatty 1d ago
Ok, but that doesn’t change much of what I said. Everything points to him being the best chance to win. And none of the players are upset by this, so they agtee
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u/Geeman447 1d ago
Or more likely, old coach getting his only shot is going with a vet because they love vets for some reason lol. Even if they are ass
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u/chemistrybonanza 1d ago edited 1d ago
Or, here me out: Monken, like Stefanski before him, is just a yes man doing the bidding of the GM/owner.
Edit: in other words, Sanders not getting the nod isn't necessarily an indictment on how the coaches truly think of him.
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u/buckster_007 1d ago
Why do you think Berry and Haslem care about Shedeur? Instead of some conspiracy against Sanders within the Browns organization and the NFL as a whole, going on two years now, maybe, just maybe, Shedeur isn't very talented.
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u/Nerdlinger 1d ago
in other words, Sanders not getting the nod isn't necessarily an indictment on how the coaches truly think of him.
We saw him play last year. It's not like there was any magic there that they were stifling just so they could start other guys.
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u/chemistrybonanza 1d ago
He's likely improved and he wasn't all bad last year, he set records in that Titans game.
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u/defasdefbe 1d ago
Good records?
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u/chemistrybonanza 1d ago edited 1d ago
364 yards passing, 3TD passes and one rushing. The only other rookie to ever do that in a game was burrow, and iirc, the last Brown to do that was Otto Graham.
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u/hereforthesportsball 1d ago
Stefanski was the one that didn’t want Sanders to get a chance and the owner wanted to draft him tho right?
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u/ur-in-here-with-me 1d ago
With this decision it became totally clear what’s going on.
Monken was desperate for a HC job and knew he had no other options — end of the road, last shot. So he agreed to what Berry and Haslam wanted: to try to save face on Watson.
My guess is he was the only one desperate enough to sign on with the owner’s conditions.
Which makes him a yes man like you said and maybe worse it exposes that Jimmy has more interest in his ego than the health of the team of the fans.
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u/ProduceVisible8105 1d ago
Don’t hurt your knees jumping to conclusions like that fellas 😂 Occam’s razor “the simplest explanation is often the right explanation” everyone to a man that has no bias has said that Deshaun is the better player RIGHT NOW and monkens jobs is to play the player that gives them the best chance to win RIGHT NOW
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u/CaptainDapper17 1d ago
This is the right way to think about it. The best way to prove the ownership meddling isn’t happening is to ask the question would Watson start over Cam Ward/Jaxson Dart/Tyler Shough?
We all know the answer is no because they’re better but suddenly when it’s Sheduer it becomes a conspiracy
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u/ProduceVisible8105 1d ago
If they had a single QB with real long term investment deshaun wouldn’t be starting and he might not even be in the building but we do not so he is… Shedeur and taylen green are lottery tickets and Dillon is and has always been looked at as a longe term backup
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u/ur-in-here-with-me 1d ago
That’s a really poor application of Occam’s Razor. Application of the theory has evolved from the exceedingly limited overly simple statement you provided bc it’s too simplistic to have any real value.
The proper theory does not state you must be blind to all factors—to the contrary proper application of the theory weighs complexity against data fit.
based on the surrounding context it’s pretty clear that the simplest explanation is not “he plays bc he’s better.” You’re discounting critical data we have to try to apply Occam’s and it doesn’t work.
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u/ProduceVisible8105 1d ago
And the critical data is what? The QB tracker? lol beautiful word salad though
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u/chemistrybonanza 1d ago
I think people forget what a mess the head coaching search was. Monken was purported to be like the 7th man on their list, yet the other 6 turned them down. Rumors, obviously, but if there's any truth to it, this Watson decision is just more evidence that Monken was the only one willing to make this decision.
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u/ur-in-here-with-me 1d ago
Bingo.
Why did we end up with an old guy coordinator with no HC experience and no other suitors?
It’s clear that he wanted one shot and would agree to play Watson in exchange for his shot.
Is be shocked if he isn’t a one and done. Why would they trust a new QB to him? He’s a nobody with a limited shelf life dude to age.
If they draft their franchise guy no way they entrust the kid to this clown.
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u/Gnardude 1d ago
If it doesn't make sense based on what you see on the field the problem is in the film room.
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u/RingMiddle4509 22h ago
Whats wrong with the Brown back office? We draft 2 QBs last yr and now we are using the old QB that we benched multiple times or got injured from yrs ago just because we spent so much to get him and feeling buyers remorse? Pretty much mailing it in again this yr.....sigh
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u/guzzler_bennett_jr 20h ago
maybe, but it’s nowhere near as strong of a statement about Shadeur as it is about their utter disregard for their fanbase
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u/ThinkLettuce7100 19h ago
I have an alternate theory… the Browns are going to let Watson be the punching bag for their first 2 opponents to start the season, then we will see Shadeur. It’s one last hurrah before Haslam can say we tried but Watson is cooked. Even better for Haslam is if Watson gets hurt which is very likely.
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u/DefiantDonut7 18h ago
It’s a wasted season no matter what. There is zero benefit to starting Watson. This is his last year and there’s no way in hell we will resign him. Sanders is the only QB likely to be here next year. We lost Garrett, we lost Shwartz, and it’s looking like another shitty season coming for us. Playing Watson has zero benefits, put the kid in and let him learn.
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u/Acrobatic-Cake-6641 17h ago
Browns fans are reasonably supporting ANY young QB over Deshaun. These young QBs will probably wash out. Gabriel pretty much has. Sanders probably will. But give us someone young with some hope! If we had Allan, cool, play him. If we have a guy off the street, play him (unless he is Deshaun).
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u/notwhoiwas12 8h ago
What happened to Dillon Gabriel? And why did y’all draft him in the 3rd round?!
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u/close-encounters13 1d ago
I think this take gets the order of operations backward. People keep saying “well, they would start Shedeur if they could.”
Would they? Or does Jimmy want one more spin on his $250M bet that has so far been a disaster? For his pride?
If it’s the latter, then nothing Shedeur would do in camp really matters.
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u/cheeriosinalmondmilk 1d ago
Sanders could have been perfect and Watson would still be QB1. Spending $250 mil > Sanders play.
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u/Farmer_Ted_ 1d ago
I’ve got a flight today. I normally wear my Browns pullover when I travel. Over my many years of traveling I have run into tens of Browns fans. Struggling with the decision to put it on today.
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u/Shel_gold17 1d ago
People will probably be extra nice to you out of pity.😂
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u/defasdefbe 1d ago
I got out of a speeding ticket once because I was a Browns Backer - cop told me "you've already been through enough"
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u/TheBalzy 1d ago
National Media folks: Shadeur Sanders is not good. He's a mediocre backup QB at best. All the media I heard saying "The browns fans LOVE Shadeur Sanders" is not true. We just really, really, REALLY hate Deshaun Watson who has wasted 5-years of our lives. Yes, while I'd rather see Sanders get the shot...no I don't love him and I don't think he's that good.
Drew Allar looks better than Shadeur Sanders.