The Cleveland Browns spent the summer presenting Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson as competitors for the starting quarterback job. Chris Simms now wonders whether Sanders ever had a realistic chance to win it.
Simms revisited the competition during an appearance on “Pro Football Talk,” pointing to Cleveland’s handling of Sanders during the second preseason game as evidence that Watson may have been the preferred choice all along.
“What if it wasn’t really that close? I think there’s some inklings you can draw there to sit there and go, you know, maybe it wasn’t,” Simms said. “The fact that they didn’t even let Shedeur play with the starters in the preseason game No. 2, which we all thought was shocking. We all thought it was swayed for Deshaun Watson. He’s gonna start, he’s going to be the starter now.
“Then he didn’t play well and he had the postgame press conference, self-inflicted moves and meltdown there about the reaction he got, and that made us go, ‘Oh, I don’t know. Maybe he can’t handle this. Maybe he won’t be the guy.’ But everything up to that point was pointing at it looks like Deshaun’s the starter. Those are the things I think about now in revisionist history and go, ‘Maybe it wasn’t as close as we thought it might be.’”
Simms stopped short of saying the Browns staged the competition. However, he believes the way they distributed preseason opportunities showed where the decision was heading before head coach Todd Monken officially named Watson the starter.
Browns Limited Shedeur Sanders’ Preseason Opportunity
Watson and Sanders alternated first-team practice days during training camp and split starting reps during a joint practice with the Buffalo Bills. The game opportunities were not as equal.
Watson started Cleveland’s preseason opener and played the first half with more of the Browns’ starting offense. He completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards but lost a fumble in the 34-10 loss to the Chicago Bears.
Sanders replaced Watson after halftime and worked with reserves. He finished 6 of 11 for 79 yards with an interception. Sanders started the following week against Buffalo, but the Browns acknowledged that the lineup featured mostly backups.
The second-year quarterback still completed his first eight passes and led Cleveland’s only touchdown drive. He finished 9 of 11 for 74 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His interception came after a pass intended for Jermaine Terry was tipped into the hands of Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
Watson took over in the second half and struggled, completing 5 of 12 passes for 36 yards with an interception. He was also showered with boos by the home crowd.
“The whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said after the game, referring to the reaction. “It’s a little bit more personal than that.”
Monken later said Watson’s emotional response would not influence the decision. He named Watson the starter two days after the loss, citing the quarterbacks’ full body of work rather than one preseason performance. Monken also said the controversial press conference and fan sentiment didn’t factor into his decision.
“Absolutely not,” Monken said. “Would I prefer that we would all be on the same page? Yeah, but that has nothing to do with my decision, and it can never have anything to do with my decision. My decision has got to be about what’s best for the Browns in week one and all the way through the season, and as long as I’m the head coach here.”
Deshaun Watson Faces Pressure to Hold Browns QB Job
Simms had previously been firmly in Sanders’ corner. Before the preseason, Simms questioned why the Browns would continue investing snaps in Watson instead of evaluating their younger quarterback.
“I’ve come to the part with this quarterback competition that it’s Shedeur Sanders, it’s Shedeur Sanders, it’s Shedeur Sanders,” Simms said in August. “Why even waste your time with Deshaun Watson?”
Watson has not played in a regular-season game since tearing his Achilles in October 2024. The three-time Pro Bowler has started 19 games since joining Cleveland in 2022, posting a 9-10 record with 19 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions.
Sanders went 3-4 in seven starts last season. He completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions while showing enough progress to enter the offseason with a legitimate argument for the job.
Monken said Watson’s experience operating on the road was one factor in the decision. Cleveland opens the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars before traveling to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Gets Grim Reality Check