Browns Second-Year Quarterback Turning Heads in 2026 Training Camp
Amidst a position battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, the second-year signal-caller might just be pulling away from the veteran Watson. Through Thursday, Sanders’ completion percentages are up, and he’s slowly developing chemistry with rookie wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. Watson was presumed to be the de facto starter heading into both training camp and the preseason, but both local and national media have reported that the 24-year-old is playing above expectations, with some Cleveland-based radio stations claiming that he has already pulled ahead. However, the road ahead is still long, and with the Texas native and his history of inconsistent play, the competition is far from over.
That said, Sanders' growth remains a huge positive for Cleveland’s coaching staff. At the end of the 2025 season, there were more than enough question marks around the former Colorado Buffalo to keep Watson’s chances of being the Browns' starting quarterback for this upcoming campaign within reality. Despite all the hype around him, albeit deserved due to some of his moments throughout his seven games last season, the six-foot-two quarterback finished with an appalling quarterback rating of 18.8. That mark was good, or foul, enough for the worst single-season QBR of any Cleveland quarterback in franchise history-the same franchise that has fielded over 40 starting quarterbacks since 1999. Unfortunately for anyone doubting Sanders, it’s not like this was all his fault.
Much-maligned former head coach Kevin Stefanski was criticized for his play-calling and for his resistance to giving the 2025 fifth-round pick the tools he needed to be the best player possible, even burying him on the depth chart for as long as humanly possible. Sanders wouldn’t have even started until Joe Flacco was traded and Dillon Gabriel was injured, meaning he had to compete in the NFL via trial by fire. The offensive line was also one of the worst units in the league, and now their captain, Joel Bitonio, has retired. Simply put, the situation the young quarterback was put in last season was horrendous, and any stats he put up could be chalked up to poor coaching and an even poorer, injured roster.
Flash forward to this summer, and the vibes in Cleveland are different. Sanders now has the opportunity to take more first-team snaps than he did throughout last offseason, and he’s throwing to a pair of highly touted receiving prospects in Concepcion and Boston. The offensive line has been properly addressed by a bevy of free agent acquisitions and first-round pick Spencer Fano. Unlike Stefanski, new head coach Todd Monken is looking to possibly start number 12 in Week One, and at the very least, is giving him a realistic chance. If you’re wondering why Sanders is being viewed so favorably by the media so far in June, the same media that is often criticized for their takes on him, then look no further than the reasons listed above-but it will be up to the Pro Bowl signal-caller to solidify his position through his play and become the quarterback so many Browns fans think he can be.
