Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders? Analysts disagree on Browns starting QB

Deshaun Watson isn't done in Cleveland. At least, that's Ian Rapoport's read.

The NFL Network insider was put on the spot on The Rich Eisen Show, asked point-blank who would be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in 2026.

"My guess is Deshaun Watson," Rapoport began.

Setting aside Watson's off-field history and inconsistency as a starter in Cleveland, this is purely a football call for Rapoport.

"When he's been healthy, he's been for sure good enough to be a starter," he said.

Ian Maule / Stringer

"There are games when, like he broke his shoulder two years ago, he led his team on a comeback, and I was like, alright, this guy's starting to play well. Then he got hurt again," Rapoport continued.

His conclusion was simple. "If healthy, I think he gives them the best chance to win."

The Watson experiment is a "waste of time"

Not everyone agrees with Rapoport's take.

ESPN analyst Kevin Clark has argued that Watson should not be anywhere near a quarterback competition in Cleveland, particularly with the Browns' second-year gunslinger Shedeur Sanders in the conversation.

"I would not bring anybody else into that room," Clark said on ESPN's Get Up show.

"I would not include Deshaun Watson in this quarterback competition. I think it's a waste of time for everybody as far as what the Browns are trying to build," he continued.

Clark went one step further, calling the original Watson acquisition the "worst trade in NFL history" and accusing the franchise of chasing sunk-cost justification.

His preference is clear. "I think it should be Dillon Gabriel vs. Shedeur in camp. Shedeur wins that competition 100 times out of 100."

We may not know the outcome of this debacle for months, but it's clear that not everyone will agree with whatever the Browns choose to do at quarterback.

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