For the better part of four months, the only story that seemed to matter much around the Cleveland Browns was whether it would be Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson under center when the Browns kicked off the 2026 NFL season. Cleveland had wrapped up the previous season with Sanders as the quarterback, and he was respectable in going 3-4 in his seven starts. His flaws were obvious, but so were those of Watson, who was despised by the fan base and coming off two Achilles tendon surgeries.
It seemed like career suicide for coach Todd Monken to pick Watson, given the level of vitriol fans had in the wake of his string of sexual assault accusations, his suspension by the league, the draft picks the Browns sacrificed to get him, the $230 million guaranteed contract, and his utter lack of apology and humility for the way it all unfolded in Cleveland. But Monken did it and … well, now the Browns are 4-2 and if they keep winning, maybe some of these past wounds will be healed.
Browns Likes Deshaun Watson’s ‘Best’
This week on Ryan Clark’s “The Pivot” podcast, Monken made an appearance and was asked what went into his decision on the case of Shedeur Sanders vs. Deshaun Watson. He tired to put aside Watson’s baggage and found that Watson’s peak performance was ahead of the peak performance of Sanders.
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“I think what we saw as a collective staff was his best,” Monken explained. “When you looked at his best, I think you try to look at what a player’s best is and then try to minimize the weaknesses. I think that’s with every player. … I think that’s what we saw with Deshaun.
“It wasn’t like Shedeur didn’t have his fair share of great plays, but we just saw a little bit more from Deshaun at the top end. And it still is, it’s a work in progress. We’re always under construction, how do we minimize and up the level of the bottom part of what they’re playing at.”
Shedeur Sanders Could Seek a Trade
One of the side plots for the Browns now is, what becomes of Sanders? The NFL trade deadline is less than three weeks away, and there are quarterback needy teams around the league. But the problem is that Sanders, though he has started seven games, has some pretty clear warts on his game. He improved during training camp, but he has not had a chance to show that improvement.
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Sanders hired an agent early this month, which gave the impression he would seek a trade away from the Browns. But again, the question is: A trade to where? There has not been much clamoring for Sanders’ services, so trading him won’t be simple.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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