Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson continues to speak publicly as though a man confident in the security of his starting job, but external predictions that his days are numbered in Northeast Ohio continue stacking up.
Most recently, Seth Walder of ESPN predicted that while Watson will begin Week 2 as the Browns’ starting quarterback against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he will not finish the afternoon without a demotion.
“Browns backup QB Shedeur Sanders will throw a touchdown pass in this game,” Walder wrote on Friday, September 18. “The Browns will finally come to their senses before the end of this game and will bench Watson. At that point it will be too late for Cleveland to win, but Sanders will at least manage a garbage-time score.”
Browns’ Home Opener in Week 3 Makes Sense for Transition to Shedeur Sanders as QB1
The conspiracies about exactly what Cleveland’s end game is with Watson have raged since head coach Todd Monken named him the starter in August.
Perhaps the most popular belief is that the Browns want to be bad enough this season to draft a quarterback high next April, most likely Arch Manning of the Texas Longhorns based on owner Jimmy Haslam’s known affinity for the quarterback and the Manning family.
The Browns opened the season with a two-game road trip through Florida, first against the Jacksonville Jaguars and this Sunday in Tampa Bay. The home fans revile Watson, as they’ve displayed clearly by booing him during his field-time this preseason while calling for Sanders to start.
One can argue that Cleveland is doing its due diligence with Watson following a twice-torn Achilles tendon, with the initial injury coming in October of 2024. The franchise made a disastrous trade for the quarterback before inking him to a catastrophic contract, the final year of which is now upon the Browns.
If Watson plays as poorly against the Bucs as he did against the Jaguars, Cleveland can claim enough evidence that he can’t lead the Browns to success and shelve him for good until his deal expires at the season’s end.
The team can then put Sanders into the lineup as the Browns return to Cleveland for their home-opener against the Carolina Panthers in Week 3, which should generate some excitement and contentment among an annoyed fanbase.
And the Browns will be 0-2 and potentially well on their way to landing Manning, or some other high-ranking QB in a loaded 2027 class.
Taylen Green May Get Opportunity to Start for Browns Late in Rookie Season
If Sanders takes over in Week 2, he is liable to remain the starter for a significant portion of the season, assuming relative health.
Should the Browns outperform expectations, Sanders could start as many as 15 games. However, the team also has sixth-round rookie Taylen Green waiting in the wings.
The ultra-athletic Green has some interesting upside. So if Sanders struggles, Browns fans may see the rookie get some work, and even potentially a few starts, down the stretch of the season.
Browns Predicted to Shelve Deshaun Watson Mid-Game Against Buccaneers