Watson takes lead in recent practice
Watson takes lead in recent practice
During a recent Cleveland Browns training camp, a notable shift occurred in the quarterback rotation. For the first time in camp, Deshaun Watson took the initial reps with the No. 1 offense for two consecutive days, working exclusively with the starters. This change happened on a Saturday, which, according to previous rotation, would have been Shedeur Sanders’ day with the first-team offense.
Before Saturday’s practice, coach Todd Monken had indicated that Sanders would receive the majority of snaps, with the possibility of Watson getting an additional seven-on-seven session. However, Watson instead took all the first-team reps. A team spokesman stated that Monken wanted to see Watson with specific personnel groupings.
This development suggests that Monken may view Watson as the clear leader in what has been described as an uneven competition over two weeks of camp. Saturday marked Watson’s strongest overall throwing day of camp and his third impressive performance during the week. Earlier in camp, Watson had faced struggles, throwing six interceptions over the first four days, contributing to a total of 18 interceptions thrown by Watson, Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel in competitive drills over the first 10 days.
Quarterback performance and future outlook
Watson, the quarterback, has not played since October 2024, having missed the previous season due to a twice-torn Achilles tendon. He is currently in the final year of a fully guaranteed $230 million contract signed in 2022 after the Browns acquired him from the Houston Texans. His record as the Browns’ starter stands at 9-10.
Sanders, the quarterback, started the final seven games of his rookie season. Given the Browns’ focus on youth and rebuilding their offensive roster, Sanders might appear to be a logical choice for the starting role. However, Monken had previously divided reps equally through the spring and the initial eight days of full camp, and he had altered his original plan to name a starter early in camp to allow both quarterbacks more opportunities.
Monken has consistently highlighted Watson’s NFL experience as an advantage in managing overall operations, such as commanding the huddle and diagnosing defensive schemes. He noted that these are areas where Sanders has the most room for improvement. The team does not practice on Sunday, a day Monken plans to use with his coaching staff to evaluate camp progress and determine the next steps.
Cleveland’s preseason opener is scheduled for next Saturday in Chicago. Monken expects either Watson or Sanders to start that game, with the other starting on August 22 against Buffalo, though he noted this plan is subject to change. The final decision on the starter could come as late as game day for the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Watson is anticipated to start that game.
On Day 10 of training camp, Watson worked with the first-team offense in both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, completing 23 of 34 passes for four touchdowns and no interceptions. He connected with Harold Fannin Jr. and Quinshon Judkins during these sessions. Sanders, meanwhile, connected with Kole Wilson for a significant gain and also completed passes to Blake Whiteheart and Luke Floriea during 7-on-7 work, finishing the day 16 of 20.
The Browns were indoors for the ninth day of training camp, focusing on deep ball throws. Watson connected with WR KC Concepcion on consecutive plays during a 7-on-7 period and later found WR Isaiah Bond deep down the sidelines. He also threw a long touchdown to WR Jerry Jeudy and a touchdown pass to Bond in the end zone during an 11-on-11 two-minute drill. The secondary had a strong practice on Day 9, securing three interceptions, including one by CB Denzel Ward off Watson.
Source: nytimes.com
