Browns to hold open QB competition between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, GM says

The Cleveland Browns entered past play with 1 of the NFL's much crowded backmost rooms. 

Sheduer Sanders took implicit the starting backmost duties successful Week 12 past season, and aft 2 much starts, helium was named the starter for the remainder of the season. Dillon Gabriel moved to a backup relation arsenic Deshaun Watson stayed connected the physically incapable to execute list, adjacent aft the squad opened his 21-day signifier model successful December. Watson is inactive recovering from his latest Achilles injury.

Speaking astatine the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine successful Indianapolis Tuesday, Brown wide manager Andrew Berry near the doorway unfastened for Watson to vie with Sanders for the starting occupation adjacent season.

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Cleveland Browns Executive vice president, shot operations & wide manager Andrew Berry looks connected during OTA offseason workouts astatine CrossCountry Mortgage Campus connected June 04, 2025 successful Berea, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

Berry cautioned that there's nary unreserved to determine connected who volition QB1 erstwhile adjacent play kicks off. 

"We don't person to marque that determination anytime soon," helium said. "I deliberation immoderate subordinate that we person successful that country we would expect to vie to gain a role. Those 2 would beryllium nary different."

While Gabriel could beryllium among the radical competing for the starting spot, Berry has antecedently indicated that the squad could look to adhd an experienced backmost to the roster astatine immoderate constituent this offseason.

Sanders took snaps with the designated second-team for the bulk of the Browns' minicamp and grooming campy past year. He went 3-4 arsenic a starter successful 2025. Berry is optimistic Sanders tin proceed to improve.

"I deliberation the biggest happening that we privation to spot from Shedeur is conscionable continued growth," Berry said. "I deliberation helium grew a batch from Start 1 to Start 7. I deliberation surely playing much efficiently, not putting the shot successful harm's mode arsenic overmuch would beryllium important portion maintaining the quality to nutrient retired of operation and make explosive plays."

Cleveland Browns wide manager Andrew Berry speaks astatine the NFL Scouting Combine astatine the Indiana Convention Center connected Feb. 24, 2026 successful Indianapolis, Indiana.  (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

The Browns dismissed Kevin Stefanski successful January and brought successful Todd Monken, and Berry said helium wants Sanders to acclimate to the caller system.

"You're not going to spot each of that successful the upcoming months due to the fact that we're not connected the field. So the biggest happening that helium tin bash is larn the caller offense, get successful with the coaching unit erstwhile our offseason programme starts, proceed to enactment connected his assemblage physically and past marque strides erstwhile we really get connected the grass."

Watson has appeared successful conscionable 19 games successful the 3 years since helium inked an unprecedented afloat guaranteed $230 cardinal declaration with the Browns. Watson is reportedly owed $46 cardinal adjacent play and carries the largest wage headdress deed successful the league successful 2026.

Cleveland Browns backmost Deshaun Watson successful enactment during the NFL shot crippled against the Philadelphia Eagles connected Oct. 13, 2024, successful Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.   (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File)

Berry confirmed Watson continues to enactment done the rehab process. "Deshaun's been moving truly hard, he's been moving his process off," helium said. "And similar I said, we're excited to spell successful mid-April with each of our players crossed the roster."

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The Browns went 5-12 past season.

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