The quarterback competition is over, and the veteran is getting the nod over the sophomore.
According to multiple reports, Browns head coach Todd Monken is set to name Deshaun Watson as the team's starting quarterback over second-year player Shedeur Sanders. That is despite Watson's tough weekend, when he had a bad preseason performance and called out the fans for booing him.
Sources: The — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet)Browns QB depth chart
Watson will begin the season as the starter when the Browns play the in Week 1. Watson hasn't played in a regular-season game since 2024, when he tore his Achilles and went just 1-6 as the Browns starter. The veteran still has a $40 million cap hit this year, which marks the final year of his contract.
Rank Quarterback 1. Deshaun Watson 2. Shedeur Sanders 3. Dillon Gabriel 4. Taylen Green Sanders, meanwhile, will be the backup to begin the year but will likely get playing time at some point if Watson struggles. The former fifth-round pick had a solid showing in the second preseason week, but it wasn't enough to earn the starting job.
Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green are set as the third and fourth quarterbacks on the depth chart, but that may not be the case entering the season. Gabriel, who was a third-round pick in 2025, is on the bubble and could be cut or traded if the Browns decide they want just three quarterbacks this year.
Green, whom the Browns selected late in the 2026 NFL Draft, is a project quarterback who will likely not play much this year. Green is someone whom the Browns will try to develop this season, hoping he could improve behind the scenes by the end of the year.
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