Overview
- Watson, who drew more first-team reps in last week’s voluntary minicamp, was described Wednesday as having the inside track by cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.
- Head coach Todd Monken has not named a starter and targets the June 9–11 minicamp to identify QB1 before training camp.
- The report cites quicker decision-making, stronger pre-snap command, and familiarity with concepts used in Monken’s scheme as reasons Watson nudged ahead.
- Shedeur Sanders started seven games as a rookie and now must dazzle coaches to overtake Watson, with roughly six weeks to close the gap.
- Watson missed 2025 after two Achilles surgeries and carries a fully guaranteed deal with 2026 money, factors that observers note in the team’s calculus.