The quarterback competition is finally moving to the training camp at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, and with it, the questions surrounding Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson have only intensified. But the assessment is far from over, and Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry has set the benchmark.

“In terms of the whole quarterback of the future discussion, ultimately, we’re going to play the player who is the most productive on the field,” Berry said in his latest presser. “…There’s no need to make any decisions about the future right now. And we’ll let it play out and figure out as we go.”

Per Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot, Berry has also noted that he feels “confident” that the Browns will have their starting quarterback named by Week 1 of the regular season. But before that happens, both quarterbacks have to make splashes at training camp and the preseason beyond.

To that effect, Deshaun Watson is off to a rocky start. On Wednesday, July 29, Watson threw back-to-back picks in the first full-speed team drills. The first pick came from veteran cornerback Denzel Ward, who signed a two-year, $62.2 million extension just the day before. The second came from fellow cornerback Damarri Mathis, who made a sliding pick as Watson tried to make a play while escaping pressure.

Having stayed away from the game since October 2024, Watson has been struggling with accuracy as well. Sanders, on the other hand, is not making things easier for him.

Head coach Todd Monken had already said before that Sanders needed to work on his speed. To that effect, Sanders looked reasonably better as he worked on quick passes and checkdowns. He also connected with rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion in a skillfully placed deep ball. And as for Andrew Berry’s ultimatum, even Coach Monken has said something very similar recently.

“The easiest way for me to say that – and it still won’t stop you from asking – is the first game,” Monken said on Wednesday. “We’re gonna have to have a starter the first game, right? Ultimately, I’m not going to decide who the starter is. They decide by their play. Their play decides who the starter is.”

Now, this is just the beginning of the camp. Both QBs will get plenty of first-team reps to improve themselves. Deshaun Watson entering the final year of his $230 million contract complicates things for the Browns financially if they’re looking for a return on their investment this year. But judging by how camp started, Shedeur Sanders appears to be trending upwards, and Watson needs to match up soon to keep his name in the running.