The Jacksonville Jaguars will be one of the biggest favorites of Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
They’re at home, and they’re hosting the Cleveland Browns and their rotating carousel of hapless quarterbacks.
There was never going to be a perfect QB solution for the Browns for the season opener, but a case can be made that the choice they have arrived at is doing a favor to Jacksonville.
Who’s Starting QB For Browns?
The Browns are starting Deshaun Watson at quarterback for the Browns in Week 1 against the Jags.
That means that the polarizing Shedeur Sanders will slot in as Cleveland’s backup for the opener.
On paper, it’s hard to have played worse than Watson has when he’s been on the field since joining the Browns, and the Jaguars will hope that continues — and their defense will have plenty of expectation of ensuring it continues.
“The Todd Monken era begins in Cleveland,” ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi writes of the new head coach for the Browns, “and Deshaun Watson is back at QB, making his first start since tearing his Achilles in October 2024. Watson has played only 19 games in four seasons with the Browns, and his QBR (33.1) would rank the lowest among qualified QBs.”
When Watson played for the Houston Texans, he was a dual-threat who could beat defenses with a potent arm and dangerous legs.
Now in Cleveland, he either leaves throws nowhere near their target, shows no interest in throwing the ball down the field, or bails out of the pocket quickly to try and scramble.
It’s been a rough Browns tenure for Watson, and many doubted whether he’d ever start for Cleveland again. Despite that, he’ll be out there Sunday, and the Jags will happily take that matchup.
What About Shedeur Sanders?
To be fair, the Jaguars would’ve been heavy favorites either way in this game.
The second-year QB Sanders had his own struggles as a rookie after starting the year as QB4 on the depth chart but eventually being the first-stringer after two trades (Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett) and an injury (Dillon Gabriel).
Sanders doesn’t have the supposed mobility of Watson, so maybe that would’ve made it easier for the Jaguars to prepare for him.
On the flip side, Sanders did hit a handful of plays down the field last year, and he showed a willingness to try it. Given that the Browns will rely heavily on RB Quinshon Judkins, having the threat of a down-field pass would keep the Jaguars’ defense honest.
It’s Week 1, and weird things can happen, including a potential mid-game QB switch. Jacksonville will expect to win regardless. But it’ll certainly be fascinating for the Jaguars to get the first look at the continuation of a Watson era with the Browns that seemed like it very well might be over.
Jaguars Get Gift From Browns in Week 1