Deshaun Watson edges Shedeur Sanders in Browns' QB battle at minicamp

Despite showing signs of promise in his rookie year, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders appears to be losing his grip on the starting job to veteran Deshaun Watson.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports Watson left the recent voluntary sessions with the upper hand in Cleveland's quarterback battle.

Watson outperforms Sanders in practice

If Sanders' encouraging performances to end last season meant he deserved most of the first-team reps in minicamp, nobody told new head coach Todd Monken.

Cabot reported that Watson was sharper in decision-making and pre-snap processing, and the coaches kept feeding him snaps. By day two, he was going first in red zone and two-minute drill work.

Jared C. Tilton / Staff

Ian Rapoport backed Watson before camp even rolled around. "When he's been healthy, he's been for sure good enough to be a starter," the NFL Network insider said on The Rich Eisen Show.

"I think he gives them the best chance to win," he added.

Browns' young roster and new scheme favours Watson

Cleveland's offense in 2026 is raw. There are five new starters on the offensive line and two rookie receivers in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, who'll be thrown straight into the fire.

The whole unit is learning a new scheme from scratch, and with new protections, audibles and line adjustments, Watson's experience gives him the edge.

Monken's system also suits him. It draws on concepts Watson ran in Houston, where he led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards in 2020 and posted a 112.4 passer rating.

Clark: Watson's inclusion is 'a waste of time'

ESPN's Kevin Clark doesn't think Watson should be anywhere near this. "I would not include Deshaun Watson in this quarterback competition," he said on Get Up.

"I think it's a waste of time for everybody as far as what the Browns are trying to build."

Clark called the original Watson deal the worst trade in NFL history and said the Browns are chasing sunk-cost justification. He wants Gabriel and Sanders competing, with Sanders winning every time.

What happens next in the Browns QB battle?

Cabot reported that Monken wants to name a starter by the end of the Browns' minicamp, June 9-11.

Cleveland have only 10 organised team activities and a three-day mandatory minicamp between now and then, which doesn't leave much time for Watson and Sanders to make their case.

Then there's Dillon Gabriel, last year's third-rounder, and Taylen Green, selected in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

While Monken said "I wouldn't say it's a two-man race," pre-camp, Gabriel and Green appear to be fighting for what probably amounts to one developmental role as the QB3 and another on the practice squad.

Sanders won't be drawn on whether the job is his. "That's not up to me," he said pre-camp. "I go out there every day and focus on what I can control."

This is familiar territory for the 24-year-old, who entered last year's camp embroiled in a battle with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Gabriel.

This time, however, he's no longer an unknown quantity. Whether that helps or hurts him remains to be seen.