Deshaun Watson has reportedly emerged as the favourite to be the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback in Week 1.
The Browns did not publicly announce their quarterback depth chart following last week’s minicamp practices. However, it appears they have started to assemble one behind the scenes.
Watson’s Experience Gives Him the Edge
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that Watson came out of minicamp as the favourite to be the team’s starting quarterback in Week 1. Watson and Shedeur Sanders both got first-team work in those practices, but Watson reportedly wound up with more reps with the starters.
Watson did not play at all in 2025 after tearing his Achilles. He has a lot more experience than Sanders, Dillon Gabriel or rookie Taylen Green, and that appears to be carrying a lot of weight for the Browns.
New Offense Favours Watson’s Adaptability
The team is installing a new offense under head coach Todd Monken. Watson has a longer history of learning different schemes over the course of his career.
The rest of the Browns’ offense is also skewing young. The team values his ability to get those players in the right spots.
Sanders Still Has a Chance
There’s about six weeks left in the offseason program, and Sanders will have a chance to change the outlook. Cabot writes that the second-year player “will have to dazzle the coaching staff to land atop the depth chart heading into training camp.”