The Cleveland Browns won ugly in Week 17, putting a dent in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ AFC North aspirations in a last-minute thriller.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was once again a victor, adding a second win to his record and making his case to be next year’s starter. As he fights for the 2026 job, pushing Cleveland out of the quarterback position makes Deshaun Watson his biggest competition for the starting spot under center.
Cleveland Browns Analyst Makes Shedeur Sanders Stance Clear
When Watson tore his Achilles tendon in 2024, it seemed like he had taken his last snap in a Browns uniform. Re-injuring it early in his recovery added to the skepticism, and it’s clear that his $230 million price tag is the only reason he’s still in the building.
And yet, Watson seems poised to compete for a starting job in 2026.
Browns fans and analysts seem to be in lockstep on the issue. Watson can make his $46 million salary from the bench, even if Sanders hasn’t run away with the job. Ken Carman spoke after the Week 17 festivities about which passer should take precedence next season.
“If you want to bring Deshaun Watson back, go ahead, you’re paying him $46 million whether you like it or not. It ain’t no competition to me,” Carman said on 92.3 The Fan. “Shedeur is your starter. I’m not falling for that ever again. … “He’s broken physically. How many injuries has he had? He didn’t want to be here.
“I don’t care, I didn’t care about any sort of redemption story. If he does, fine, stick it in my ear. If it comes down to Shedeur or Deshaun Watson, not that Deshaun hasn’t been a nice teammate and all that other stuff that we like to say now. It’s Shedeur’s team. I’m not wasting my time with anything else.”
“If it comes down to Shedeur or Deshaun Watson, it’s Shedeur’s team. I’m not wasting my time with anything else. I’m not falling for it, again.”
@KenCarman tells @SportsBoyTony one scenario is not a debate at all for the #Browns QB in 2026 https://t.co/Wv40IgeWOc pic.twitter.com/bWQr4GlImg
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) December 29, 2025
Sanders hasn’t been good enough to stave off a first-round rookie passer, but Cleveland may opt to kick the can down the road. At the very least, the locker room seems to appreciate Sanders, and there have been some flashes of in-structure playmaking.
The production, though, leaves more questions than answers. By PFSN’s Quarterback Impact metric, Sanders ranks 41st of 44 qualified passers. He has completed just 57.4% of his passes and thrown more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (seven). Among the 40 quarterbacks with 200 plays in 2025, Sanders is last in EPA/Play, 39th in success rate, and 38th in completion percentage over expectation.
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That doesn’t give fans much reason for optimism. Even so, his youth offers some level of upside, and a better supporting cast next year could make his job easier. A different quarterback may be added to the room, but there’s little use in turning to the oft-injured, underwhelming Watson, who wasn’t good enough to prevent a Sanders (or Dillon Gabriel) selection.
“Mark my word, he’ll be on the team going into next year, and you will hear how good he looks in camp from certain people as we get ready for next year,” Carman added. “And I’m not falling for that again, we’re not doing that again. It’s Shedeur. Not Dillon Gabriel. Not Bailey Zappe. Certainly not Deshaun Watson. If it comes down to those guys, it’s Shedeur.”
It’s important to note that Carman isn’t writing off the possibility of a rookie passer. This isn’t a push for Sanders as much as it’s a referendum on Watson’s disastrous tenure in Cleveland. With one game left against a porous Cincinnati Bengals defense, Sanders will have the opportunity to make a closing argument in Week 18.
