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Browns Stick With Watson, Leaving Shedeur Sanders to Wait

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ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler says the Cleveland Browns plan to stay with Deshaun Watson and are not looking to start rookie Shedeur Sanders this season

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is unlikely to see the field as a starter any time soon, according to ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, who said the team plans to commit to Deshaun Watson for the long term. Fowler discussed the situation on "SportsCenter" on Friday, one day before the Browns opened their season against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Watson is set to start under center for Cleveland, with Sanders positioned as a backup in a quarterback room the team has stocked with several options. Fowler said the Browns are not entering the new season believing they need to give Sanders any starts this year, and that the organization intends to give Watson time to settle back in.

"Here's how the Browns are looking at this with how far and how many games based on what I know, they're going to base it on performance, like they would any player," Fowler said. "So, they're going to treat it as such."

Fowler said the decision has nothing to do with Sanders' ability. Instead, it reflects the plan management has chosen to follow, built around patience with Watson rather than a quick change at the position.

A major factor is the inexperience around Watson. Fowler noted that the Browns have six players on offense who are either rookies or in their second year, making the unit one of the youngest in the league. He said the team expects that youth to show early in the season.

Watson's own layoff is another consideration. Fowler pointed out that the quarterback has not played football in roughly two years, and that the Browns are anticipating some rust as he works his way back into game action. He said the front office is prepared to extend "grace" as that adjustment plays out.

Fowler described the mood inside the organization as hopeful. Management, he said, is "optimistic" about the season and "want this to go well" for Watson and the offense as a whole.

The backing from the front office comes despite friction between Watson and the fan base. Watson was booed by Browns supporters during the offseason, a reaction that could make home games a tougher environment for him than road matchups early in the year.

Sanders' path to the starting job, meanwhile, remains tied to how the season unfolds rather than any set timeline. Quarterback situations in the NFL can shift quickly, and a stretch of poor results can push decision-makers toward change. For now, though, the Browns have signaled they are serious about Watson and are not preparing for a rapid replacement.

That message leaves Sanders waiting behind a starter the organization has publicly committed to. With performance set as the measuring stick and the team openly braced for early struggles from a young, rebuilt offense, the bar for a midseason switch appears high. Barring a significant change in circumstances, Sanders looks set to spend the opening stretch of the campaign on the sideline..

Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns, Deshaun Watson, Jeremy Fowler, NFL Week 1, Jacksonville Jaguars, Browns quarterback, NFL 2026

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