As the 2026 regular season approaches, the conversation around the QB1 battle in the Cleveland Browns is getting intense. While Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson are alternating and splitting first-team reps in training camp, former NFL player Shannon Sharpe has suggested a possible move for the Browns that he feels could benefit the franchise.

“I think Shedeur is outplaying him,” Sharpe said on the Nightcap Podcast. “He’s so far playing so much better than Deshaun is right now. Now, we look at this practice. We’ll see. We’re going to find out in the preseason how much Shedeur plays. Because it might be a situation if he only gets a series. And Deshaun goes in there, and they have to play more. Shedeur starting.”

Shedeur Sanders will be entering his second season in the NFL. He led the QB room in passing yards (1,400) with a struggling Browns offensive unit, which ranked 31st in scoring offense with 279 total points.

Even though Sanders was also the one who got sacked the most times last season in Cleveland, there have been reports about his improvement this offseason. Before minicamp, Watson was considered the lock starter given his veteran experience.

But of late, Sanders has intensified the competition, forcing HC Todd Monken to reconsider before deciding on the QB1 for the 2026 season. While Sharpe backs Sanders, co-host Chad Johnson argues the business case favors Watson.

“You got to stay locked in because there’s no clear favorite,” Johnson said. “There’s no clear favorite. And I’m just going from a business aspect of it. I’m thinking like an owner, man. When you’re paying somebody that kind of money, you going to have to show me what you do.”

Johnson is looking at it from the business angle. Deshaun Watson is in the final year of his five-year, $230 million contract with the Cleveland Browns, which was signed ahead of the 2022 season. If Watson sits as backup to Sanders, his trade value diminishes significantly. On the other hand, if Watson starts and displays flashes of his old self, a desperate team might agree to a trade.

Former Cincinnati Bengals WR Chad Johnson believes the Browns’ final decision on the QB1 battle between Sanders and Watson might be based on this particular factor. But as things stand, HC Todd Monken is keen to assess both quarterbacks till the preseason games before making a decision.