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Numerous reports noted that second-year pro Shedeur Sanders closed the gap in the competition for the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback job by the end of the Browns' mandatory minicamp in June.
Thus, some Browns fans have been surprised to read and hear that veteran Deshaun Watson is still seen as the favorite to win the QB1 gig. On Wednesday, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer suggested that the NFL's summer break was kind to Watson as it pertains to the battle with Sanders.
Deshaun Watson was at "peak efficiency and accuracy" during summer workouts
"While Watson appeared to tail off slightly towards the end of minicamp and OTAs with the occasional off-target throw, he was back to peak efficiency and accuracy during his individual summer workouts and the passing camp," Cabot wrote. "He knows what’s at stake, and is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to win the starting job."
Watson returned to the Cleveland area ahead of the July 4 holiday weekend to work out at the team's facility. Watson and Sanders later co-hosted a passing camp for teammates in Miami.
"Working tirelessly over the break with his physical therapist Billy Voltaire and quarterbacks coach Quincy Avery, Watson looks to be in the best shape of his career as he heads into training camp July 29," Cabot said."
While with the Houston Texans from 2017 through the 2020 season, Watson earned three Pro Bowl nods. However, he has since made just 19 starts for reasons related to sitting through the 2021 campaign amid a desire to be traded, serving an 11-game suspension in 2022 and multiple injury setbacks he has dealt with since the fall of 2023.
That said, a version of Watson who is in "the best shape of his career" is likely better than Sanders, who produced some of the worst stats among starting quarterbacks last season.
Deshaun Watson has these advantages over Shedeur Sanders
"Watson also has the edge in running the pre- and post-snap show, and can distinguish himself that way in the competition," Cabot noted.
Cabot also said that Watson's "trademark mobility was on display this spring despite the back-to-back Achilles surgeries."
Of course, none of this will matter if Watson goes down with a new injury or plays poorly when the Browns open the preseason with a matchup at the Chicago Bears on Aug. 15. For now, it sounds like Browns fans should prepare themselves to see Watson in the lineup for Cleveland's Week 1 game at the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 13.
Veteran Browns players are due to report for training camp on July 28.
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