A Tuesday update hinted that veteran Deshaun Watson remains on track to win the Cleveland Browns‘ starting quarterback job over second-year pro Shedeur Sanders ahead of Cleveland’s joint practice with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday.
During a Wednesday appearance on ESPN Cleveland, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler agreed that Watson leads the quarterback battle following the Browns’ preseason opener at the Chicago Bears on Aug. 15. Fowler also offered an interesting response when asked if the Browns could trade Sanders if Watson is named the club’s Week 1 starter.
Browns could “look into” Shedeur Sanders trade in this situation
“The Browns’ front office and (general manager) Andrew Berry are value-based,” Fowler explained. “They’ve shown that. If there’s good value to be had in a trade, they will look into it. Would Shedeur Sanders have trade value would be an obvious question we would all have. I don’t know, or it’s uncertain at this point whether the Browns would act on that or not.”
A July report revealed that the Browns did not “have any intention of trading” Sanders at that time. However, that was before Watson grabbed what may prove to be an insurmountable lead in the battle for the QB1 job.
Both Sanders and Watson produced mixed bags of results in the 34-10 preseason loss to the Bears. Watson got the start, and he completed 11-of-15 passes for 126 yards with no touchdowns, no interceptions and a lost fumble. Sanders then went 6-of-11 passing for 79 yards and an ugly pick. Sanders will start Cleveland’s home game against Buffalo this coming Saturday.
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Fowler also suggested that neither Sanders nor the Browns may want to break up this summer even if Watson is named the Week 1 starter. Cleveland also has 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel and 2026 sixth-round draft pick Taylen Green in the team’s quarterback room, but Sanders is seen as a better option for the QB2 gig.
“If Deshaun struggles,” Fowler said about the Browns, “you’re going right to Shedeur. His best chance to play might still be in Cleveland in Year 2 if you look at the landscape.”
That said, it sounds like Berry would be willing to talk with teams about a Sanders-related trade if first-year Browns head coach Todd Monken names Watson the team’s starter early next week.
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