Overview
- New head coach Todd Monken called the quarterback job "still to be determined" and said he hopes to tap back into Deshaun Watson’s former Pro Bowl level.
- Beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot now pegs the Week 1 race as 40% for Shedeur Sanders, 40% for Watson and 20% for an external option, describing the two as "neck and neck."
- Watson has resumed throwing with private coach Quincy Avery in South Florida after missing last season, and his fully guaranteed deal and 19 Cleveland starts frame the evaluation.
- Cleveland is expected to inquire on Malik Willis as a dual‑threat fit, though projections suggest a costly deal (reported estimates up to two years and $71 million) and he shares an agent with Watson.
- Signals from the front office point away from older veterans like Kirk Cousins or Derek Carr, with younger, lower‑cost options such as Tyler Huntley discussed as possible depth additions.