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NFL insider reveals current climate of Browns QB battle before season
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- NFL insider reveals current climate of Browns QB battle before season
The Cleveland Browns have continued to be at the forefront of national attention throughout the course of the 2026 NFL offseason.
After a successful 2026 NFL Draft, which saw the struggling franchise land multiple key offensive acquisitions in Utah tackle Spencer Fano and a pair of young wideouts in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, the Browns are in an excellent spot to improve from last season. However, the primary issue for Cleveland leading up to next season will be the quarterback position, as the team is preparing for a competition between veteran Deshaun Watson and second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders .
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During a recent appearance on the Rich Eisen Show on Thursday, NFL insider Albert Breer gave some insight as to why he thinks Watson will be the starting quarterback in 2026 .
"[The Browns] have now invested nearly $200 million into Deshaun Watson; they have invested three first-round picks into him," Breer stated. "Obviously, it's gone the way it's gone; the return has not been close to the investment they made over the last four years. You know what would be worse than just striking out on this? What would be worse is striking out, not giving him a chance this year, and then seeing him go ball out somewhere else in 2027. I think for the Browns, part of this is, you sort of owe it to yourself to give this a run…"
Browns' current quarterback battle
After a long, hard-fought battle during the 2022 NFL offseason, Cleveland traded three first-round picks to the Houston Texans and signed Watson to a massive five-year, $230 million, fully guaranteed contract. However, it quickly became clear that the Browns' plan would backfire in their face.
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Throughout his four seasons with the organization, Watson has played 19 games, throwing for 3,356 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. In addition to his struggles in the passing game, the longtime veteran struggled to maintain his efficiency on the ground, as he failed to rush for over 200 yards in a single season during his time in Cleveland.
Still, while there is a small chance that Watson could eventually return to his prime form in 2026, the Browns could try to run it back with the 30-year-old next season in order to give him one final chance in the orange and brown.
As for Sanders, Breer also mentioned that the Browns would likely want to see more of the 24-year-old, but claimed that it would be "easier to pull the plug" on Watson. The 2025 fifth-round pick showed some glimpses of potential last season in Cleveland, throwing for 1,400 yards, 10 interceptions, and seven touchdowns. Unfortunately for Sanders, he will have to once again prove himself to the new coaching staff, making his training camp competition against Watson a noteworthy battle leading up to the 2026 NFL season.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: NFL insider reveals current climate of Browns QB battle before season
