The new head coach stood at the podium and spoke directly: Shedeur Sanders has elite playmaking ability. Still, the quarterback job is an open competition. Three quarterbacks. One roster spot. The franchise comes off a 5-12 season with the NFL’s largest cap hit tied to a quarterback who barely played.
In Cleveland, a rookie who threw every explosive pass the team produced waited for a commitment that never arrived.
Loaded Deck
Sanders took over after Dillon Gabriel’s concussion and started Cleveland’s last seven games, finishing 3-4. His stat line paints a harsh picture: 56.6% completion rate, 7 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a QBR of 18.9—fifth-worst in the league. The numbers say one thing, his arm showed another.
All seven of Cleveland’s 40-plus-yard completions in 2025 came with Sanders under center. Every one of those big plays belonged to him, even as his grade sat near the bottom of the league.
Unsteady Ground
Jan 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) participates in pregame warmups against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
The easiest explanation: Sanders didn’t measure up. Fans repeated it. Analysts echoed it. Then ESPN released a stat that changed the conversation: Sanders faced a 46% pressure rate on his dropbacks, the highest since tracking began in 2009. Against the Bears, it jumped to 48%.
He took five sacks and threw three interceptions in subfreezing temperatures. Evaluating a quarterback under those conditions is like asking a rookie surgeon to operate during an earthquake and judging only the stitches.
The Trap
Nov 23, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson watches on the sidelines against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Deshaun Watson has played in 19 games since Cleveland traded three first-round picks for him in March 2022. Nineteen games over four years for $230 million, fully guaranteed. He tore his Achilles tendon in October 2024, reinjured it during recovery, and still holds a $46 million guaranteed salary in 2026 with an $80.7 million cap hit. That number was restructured on March 6, 2026, to about $44.9 million, but the guaranteed salary and dead money remain.
No contract in the NFL is bigger. Watson cannot play. Owner Jimmy Haslam called the deal a “big swing and miss.” The Browns cannot cut him without taking the full financial hit.
Parallel Tracks
Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Watson’s guaranteed money forces the front office to run parallel evaluations. GM Andrew Berry said there was “no rush” to name a starter. The Browns opened Watson’s 21-day practice window in December while Sanders was already starting.
The coaches do not doubt Sanders. The salary cap requires the team to justify its investment. Monken wants to develop his young quarterback. Berry is stuck with a contract signed before either of them arrived.
Dead Money
Dec 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) makes a catch in the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Jerry Jeudy topped Cleveland’s receivers with 602 yards and 2 touchdowns. No one else came close. Sanders threw to a depleted group, so the Browns are now chasing Mike Evans in free agency. Meanwhile, Watson’s cap hit eats the flexibility needed to fix the offensive line that left Sanders under constant pressure.
Two first-round picks are available for the 2026 draft. The Browns need a left tackle, more receivers, and a solution at quarterback. Two picks. Five holes.
Dominoes In Cleveland
Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski talks with quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) before he enters the game against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Dillon Gabriel, a third-round pick who started six games as a rookie, looks headed for a trade. That leaves Cleveland just one Watson setback away from having no viable backup behind a quarterback the team will not publicly endorse.
The Athletic’s Zac Jackson described Sanders as “the least comfortable or safe No. 1 that there could ever be,” and said the depth chart could change “three more times through the summer because that’s what the Browns do.” One bad Watson practice, and the whole order shifts again.
The Warning To Other Teams
This became a league-wide lesson when Haslam admitted the Watson deal failed and the team kept paying. Every franchise can see it: a fully guaranteed mega-contract with no exit clause can lock down an organization for half a decade, no matter who owns the team or who coaches it.
The 2027 quarterback class is considered much stronger than 2026’s, which means Cleveland could spend an entire season in limbo just to draft Sanders’ replacement.
No Exit
Dec 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) throws in the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
If Sanders thrives in 2026, the Browns face a public relations crisis over Watson’s roster spot. If Sanders struggles, Cleveland loses two straight seasons without building around a young arm. If Watson returns to form after two Achilles injuries, the franchise faces the most toxic quarterback controversy in recent memory. Every path brings turbulence.
The front office admits there is no way out until Watson’s contract ends, so the trap holds through at least 2027.
The Framework
Dec 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) greets former NFL player Tony Brown before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Draft week brings Cleveland two first-round picks and no clarity at quarterback. Sanders posted the FBS’s highest college completion rate at 71.8%.
He produced every explosive play for Cleveland last season, all behind the league’s most pressured pocket. And the organization still refuses to name him the starter. The real question: Can any quarterback succeed in a franchise that owes $46 million guaranteed to a player who never takes the field?
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Sources
ESPN | Sources: Browns rework Watson contract to lower NFL-high cap hit | March 6, 2026
ESPN | Browns co-owner admits ‘big swing-and-miss’ with Deshaun Watson | March 31, 2025
NFL.com | Browns QB Deshaun Watson ruptured Achilles again, could miss 2025 season | January 10, 2025
Yahoo Sports | Browns’ Shedeur Sanders is under pressure more than any QB since ESPN began tracking in 2009 | December 15, 2025
Dayton Daily News | Browns: Andrew Berry says team won’t name starting quarterback any time soon | February 24, 2026
Yahoo Sports | Browns open 21-day practice window for Deshaun Watson | December 3, 2025
