After Deshaun Watson‘s poor performance against Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1, rumors said that Shedeur Sanders has a real chance to take it from Deshaun Watson should he fail in the next game as well.
But Deshaun Watson came back strongly in the next games cementing his place as starter. While it may seem like a bad thing for Shedeur Sanders, former Super Bowl champion Chris Canty sees it differently.
Deshaun Watson staying next year is a good thing for Shedeur Sanders
After a rough opening game against the Jacksonville Jaguars where he threw an early interception, Deshaun Watson has rebounded sharply for the Cleveland Browns. In the three games since, he has thrown for a combined 855 yards while completing 69.6% of his passes. That form continued on Thursday night, when Watson completed passes for 268 yards and a touchdown in a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns now sit atop the AFC North with a three-game winning streak, their first since 2023.
Jun 11, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) leaves the field during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Former Super Bowl champion and ESPN analyst Chris Canty sees Watson’s strong play as a positive for Sanders rather than a threat. Speaking on ESPN’s UNSPORTSMANLIKE, Canty claimed winning with Watson would likely lead the Browns to keep the veteran next season. That, in turn, would allow the organization to treat Sanders as an in-house developmental prospect instead of feeling pressure to draft another quarterback high in the draft.
“If they continue to win football games, I think Shedeur is in a great spot. If they win football games that means the organization will be considering Deshaun Watson next year,” Chris Canty said.
“If you are bringing back Deshaun Watson next year you have a player in-house that you can view as a developmental prospect in the quarterback position already in Shedeur Sanders, you don’t need to go back to the well and invest high picks into quarterbacks if you got a guy in Deshaun Watson that you feel can play good enough to get your team to the postseason,” he added.
Shedeur Sanders had a good chance at making it as a starter but as Deshaun Watson is putting up good numbers now, Browns might just consider having Watson for one more year.
Todd Monken keeps his faith on Deshaun Watson
When Todd Monken chose Deshaun Watson instead of Shedeur Sanders, the decision seemed questionable considering the public scrutiny Watson faced in the preseason home game. But Todd Monken kept his faith on Watson.
After Week 2 win against Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Todd Monken spoke from his faith on Deshaun Watson. “I’m happy for Deshaun, the way he’s played, and I expected improvement, and I expect continued improvement. There’s a lot of football left in him, he just hasn’t played in a while. And learning our system and trying to get him consistent with his drops and his reads is part of the process,” Watson said.
If Watson keeps proving for the rest of the season, Browns might just take up on Chris Canty’s advice but whether Shedeur Sanders would want to stay as a developmental project is unpredictable at this stage.
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