The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition continues to tilt in a direction that looks increasingly unfavorable for Shedeur Sanders.
While the team has not officially named a starter, recent developments on the practice field and comments from a prominent NFL insider suggest that Sanders’ chances of winning the job may already be slipping away.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network offered a blunt assessment of the situation during an appearance on Inside Training Camp Live.
“It certainly seems like Deshaun Watson has the leg up here. He’s the one who is more well-versed in the Browns’ operations,” Rapoport said.
He acknowledged that Sanders has shown flashes of ability during training camp, noting that the young quarterback has made plays that force coaches to take notice of his talent. Yet when it comes to consistency and reliability from one snap to the next, Rapoport indicated that Watson currently holds the edge.
That evaluation arrived one day after a noticeable shift in how the Browns handled first-team repetitions. Head coach Todd Monken had indicated that Sanders would receive the bulk of the work with the starters.
Instead, Watson took every snap with the first-team offense while Sanders shared second-team duties with Dillon Gabriel. A team spokesperson later explained that the coaching staff wanted to evaluate specific personnel groupings with Watson under center, but the optics were hard to ignore.
For a player still fighting to prove he belongs at the top of the depth chart, the sudden reduction in opportunity carried clear implications.
Monken has said the staff planned to discuss the quarterback rotation over the weekend and begin focusing more seriously on a starter early in the week.
The Browns open the preseason against the Chicago Bears on August 15, and the distribution of practice snaps leading up to that game will offer another window into the coaching staff’s thinking. Even if Watson starts that contest, it would not necessarily lock him in as the regular-season starter. Still, the trajectory of recent practices makes it harder to argue that the competition remains fully open.
Monken continues to talk about giving both Watson and Sanders one preseason start each, though he has also made clear that every decision remains subject to change. Neither quarterback has seized the job with overwhelming play so far.
The starting offense has struggled with consistency regardless of who is under center, and turnovers have been a persistent problem throughout camp. Watson has been responsible for most of the interceptions, yet the coaching staff appears willing to live with those growing pains while leaning on his familiarity with the system.
From the outside, the picture is becoming clearer. Sanders has the arm talent and the occasional highlight-reel throw that keep hope alive.
Watson, despite the long layoff and the turnovers, currently projects as the steadier choice for an offense still trying to find its footing under Monken. If the practice patterns of the past few days continue, Sanders may already be fighting an uphill battle that grows steeper with each passing day of camp.
