Overview
- The Athletic’s quarterback tiers, published Tuesday, placed Shedeur Sanders last (35th) and Deshaun Watson near the bottom (31st) with anonymous NFL voters calling Sanders inaccurate and questioning both players’ readiness.
- Todd Monken has not named a starter and said he will use increased padded reps and a sequence of preseason starts to evaluate the candidates before finalizing a Week‑1 decision.
- Third‑year pro Dillon Gabriel has earned more first‑team reps in camp and has emerged as an unexpected contender after coaches praised his recent performance.
- Sanders’ 2025 rookie numbers and advanced metrics were poor: a 44.1 PFF grade, 18.9 QBR, 68.1 passer rating and 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions across eight games—evidence cited by evaluators who ranked him lowest.
- Watson’s recent Achilles injury, limited play since joining Cleveland and a fully guaranteed contract create strong roster and financial pressures that could force the Browns to weigh performance, health and salary when making roster or starter choices; prediction markets show the race competitive with Sanders’ Week‑1 odds rising toward Watson’s.