The Cleveland Browns currently have four quarterbacks on their roster. Now there is said to be a first favorite for the role of starter at the beginning of the coming season.

A total of three different quarterbacks were named starters for the Cleveland Browns last season. Joe Flacco started at the beginning of the season, then Dillon Gabriel and most recently Shedeur Sanders.

In the new season, Cleveland would like to see more consistency at the position. There should now be a first favorite in the race for the starting job.

Cleveland Browns: Will Shedeur Sanders be the starter?

According to “cleveland.com”, Deshaun Watson is ahead of Sanders after the team’s first voluntary minicamp. The latter did play some of the first-team snaps, but the 30-year-old seemingly got significantly more chances.

Dillon Gabriel, who was selected two rounds ahead of Sanders in last year’s draft, did not play at all, according to the report. With Taylen Green, the franchise also drafted another passer in the sixth round.

It is rather unusual for four quarterbacks to make it onto an NFL team’s roster at the start of the season. It is therefore not inconceivable that the Browns and Gabriels will part ways after just one season.

NFL: Last chance for Deshaun Watson with the Browns?

For Watson, on the other hand, it could be his last chance in Cleveland.

The 30-year-old came from the Houston Texans in a mega-trade in 2022: The Browns gave up a total of three first-round picks, a third-round pick and two fourth-round picks for the quarterback and a sixth-round pick and gave him a five-year contract worth 230 million dollars – even though Watson had not played a whole season at the time.

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After his trade, the pass-rusher was suspended for the first 11 games of the new season over allegations of sexual harassment and fined five million dollars. Since then, Watson has never been able to build on his performances in Houston. From 2022 to 2024, he only managed just under 1,000 passing yards and a total of 19 touchdowns with twelve interceptions.

The main reason for this was his high susceptibility to injury. In 2023, he only played six games because he was out for the rest of the season due to shoulder surgery. In October 2024, he suffered a torn Achilles tendon before tearing his Achilles tendon again in January 2025 and missing the entire previous season.

Browns: Quarterback decision still open

It now appears that the 30-year-old will be given one last chance. Browns owner Jimmy Haslem recently spoke out in favor of Watson on “ESPN”: “Deshaun has a great opportunity, a fresh start and an offensive-minded coach who has worked with a variety of quarterbacks in the past and led them to success.”

However, nothing has been decided yet. Todd Monken, the Browns’ new head coach, emphasized several times that there will be an open competition for the quarterback position. He plans to announce the final starter at the end of minicamp from July 9-11.

Written by Max