Shedeur Sanders gets positive update in Browns quarterback competition ahead of training camp

The Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback competition will take center stage at training camp next month.

Cleveland currently has four quarterbacks on the active roster, but just two seem to be in the running for the starting role: Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. Watson didn't play in 2025 while recovering from surgery on his right Achilles tendon, while Sanders started seven games for the Browns in his rookie campaign, posting a 3-4 record with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Watson has been viewed as the favorite to be Cleveland's opening-week starter, but it sounds like Sanders may not be far off from the veteran signal-caller as training camp nears.

Sanders has "bridged the gap at least somewhat" in Browns QB competition

During an appearance on NFL Live, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said that Sanders has at least bridged the gap a little bit between him and Watson in the starting-quarterback duel.

Fowler still believes Watson is in a solid position to earn the QB1 role,

"This is a true heated battle," Fowler said of the Browns' starting quarterback competition. "Deshaun Watson went into the spring as the clear favorite, but Shedeur Sanders has bridged the gap at least somewhat. I still believe Watson is in a good position...He's moving well and fluid."

"But Shedeur was decisive [at mandatory minicamp]. He's got a presence about him that the new coaching staff has noticed. They might have underestimated him a bit. I expect this to go into the preseason."

Watson is the more experienced quarterback, but the 30-year-old hasn't played in a game since October 2024, and Sanders showed flashes in his rookie season that warrant the Browns giving him a chance.

With the Browns wrapping up mandatory minicamp last week, we got an update on how both quarterbacks have played this offseason, and neither has done enough to create a sizeable separation from the other. The Athletic's Zac Jackson said that Watson was inconsistent during minicamp, while Sanders looked more confident as the offseason program went on, but he also wasn't spectacular.

"Though much is new and unsettled, it’s probably safe to say Watson looked like the same player in his return from a year and a half away that he was before his two Achilles tendon injuries. Watson seems healthy and occasionally threw downfield with confidence, but he lacked consistency and too often threw into traffic. Sanders seemed to be a more confident and accurate passer later in the spring than he was early on," Jackson wrote.

Overall, the sense out of minicamp is that the battle between Watson and Sanders is neck and neck, which is great news for Sanders, who has the chance to defy the odds and be the Browns' Week 1 starter. We'll see how this all transpires over the next few months.