Cleveland Browns fans may get the answer they’ve been waiting for at the quarterback position within the next 48 hours, according to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler.
Fowler reported ahead of Cleveland’s second preseason game on Saturday, August 22 that a decision may come from head coach Todd Monken as early as Monday.
“I’m told this quarterback battle is still in full swing, even though Deshaun Watson, the veteran, has had some momentum in the last few weeks,” Fowler said. “What Shedeur Sanders does today is a major data point in the process. He won’t have all the starters with him, but he will have a few guys with the first-team offense going at it.”
“And I’m told this is how it’s gonna go: head coach Todd Monken will get through today, he’ll get with his staff on Sunday, he’ll evaluate all the tape the last few weeks, he’ll get input from his staff. I suspect by Monday they should be ready to make a decision on this quarterback battle.”
Shedeur Sanders Played Decently in Browns’ Second Preseason Game, Save for Interception
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders didn’t do everything possible to help his cause on Saturday, mainly due to an interception. However, he did complete 9-of-11 throws for 74 yards and one touchdown.
“Shedeur pick was definitely behind. Really difficult catch. Tipped INT, but it’s on Shedeur,” Charles Robinson of NFL BlueBook wrote on X. “Not great, but overall I think he’s looked pretty solid. The turnover wasn’t horrific. Garden variety timing issue, just throwing it behind a guy. Clean it up, move on.”
Meanwhile, Watson was awful. He completed just 5-of-12 passes for 36 yards and threw an interception of his own.
Across two games this preseason, Watson has gone 16-of-27 passing for 162 yards, one interception and one fumble. Sanders, meanwhile, is 15-of-22 passing for 153 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Dillon Gabriel has also seen work in both contests, though he threw just one pass against Buffalo that fell incomplete. Gabriel is likely to enter the regular season as the third-string quarterback, though he could also end up on the trade block as sixth-round rookie Taylen Green is also currently on the Browns’ roster.
Browns Fans Made Clear Their Feelings on Deshaun Watson
GettyQuarterback Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns.
Browns fans were very open and honest with regards to their feelings about Watson on Saturday, which Ben Axelrod detailed on social media.
“Deshaun Watson is getting booed after nearly every play in Cleveland,” Axelrod wrote. “He’s probably going to be named the starter in a few days. Other than the Luka trade, I’ve never seen a franchise actively rebel against its own fanbase like this. Why isn’t this a bigger story?”
Axelrod went on to assert that Cleveland can’t afford to name Watson the starter, either Monday or at any point after that, due to the combination of the emotions of Browns fans and Watson’s exceedingly poor play on Saturday in a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills.
“I mean, the Browns simply cannot name Deshaun Watson the starting quarterback after this,” Axelrod said in a second post.
Browns’ Imminent Timeline for Sanders, Watson Decision Revealed: Report