STWF Sports | Cleveland | Dec. 4, 2025 – Shedeur Sanders has already survived a quarterback gauntlet to claim the Cleveland Browns’ starting job. He outlasted Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and rookie rival Dillon Gabriel to earn the QB1 role entering Week 13. But as Cleveland limps through another disappointing season, two new threats have emerged—one familiar, one looming in the future.

Watson, whose fully guaranteed $230 million contract remains one of the most polarizing deals in NFL history, returned to practice on Wednesday. The former Texans star hasn’t played in more than a year after suffering an Achilles injury, but his activation opens a 21-day window for him to prove he can return to game action.

For a Browns franchise stuck between rebuilding and salvaging pride, Watson’s return is both a logistical and financial headache.

“Excited for him,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday. “His focus, my focus, is getting him back to playing football… It’s a good next step for him. But our focus continues to remain on the Tennessee Titans.”

The Browns are 3–9, deep into rookie evaluation mode, and staring at another lost season. Sanders, now preparing for his third NFL start against Cam Ward and the Titans, knows his chances to solidify a future in Cleveland could shrink dramatically if Watson proves healthy.

If Watson is unable to practice effectively, he will revert to the PUP list—ending his season. But his contract ensures that no matter what, Cleveland owes him $80 million in 2026 alone, meaning Sanders may find himself fighting for reps again next offseason regardless of how he performs down the stretch.

Browns Expected to Target a Quarterback in 2026 Draft

Even beyond Watson, Sanders faces long-term competition.

Cleveland owns two first-round picks thanks to a trade with Jacksonville, and many draft analysts expect the Browns to aggressively pursue a franchise quarterback. In his first mock draft, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler projected Cleveland trading up to No. 1 for Indiana star Fernando Mendoza.

“Mendoza won’t wow with arm velocity or speed, but his football intelligence separates him,” Brugler wrote. “He plays on time, layers throws well, and avoids sacks with just enough mobility. The Browns will like him for the same reasons they liked Gabriel—but with better physical tools and higher upside.”

The 2026 quarterback class is considered thin, but Mendoza has led No. 2 Indiana to a 12–0 record and a matchup with No. 1 Ohio State and potential 2027 No. 1 pick Julian Sayin. Oregon’s Dante Moore is another possible early entrant, while Texas’ Arch Manning and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers are projected to remain in college.

Sanders Needs Statement Wins

Sanders is 1–1 as a starter, delivering a poised performance in a win against the Raiders before struggling against the 49ers’ top-ranked defense. Sunday provides a critical opportunity: a winnable matchup against the 1–11 Titans, the NFL’s worst record.

Titans rookie Cam Ward, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick, is also under pressure to justify his $48.7 million deal. The spotlight will be on both young quarterbacks—though Ward faces the nightmare assignment of dealing with Myles Garrett.

Sanders, meanwhile, gets a softer defensive matchup but carries a heavier narrative burden. As perhaps the most scrutinized fifth-round pick in NFL history, every throw, decision, and result is dissected. His $4.6 million contract provides flexibility for Cleveland to draft or acquire competition, increasing the urgency for Sanders to prove he belongs.

And if Watson returns? Stefanski could choose veteran stability over rookie development, no matter how unpopular that decision might be.

But in Cleveland—a franchise defined by quarterback chaos for decades—anything is possible. And for Shedeur Sanders, the fight for QB1 has only just begun.