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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is competing to be the Week 1 starter with Deshaun Watson.

Rich Eisen has been one of Shedeur Sanders’ most prominent defenders, but even he does not expect the Cleveland Browns to hand the second-year quarterback the Week 1 job.

Eisen, speaking on “The Rich Eisen Show,” said he still believes the Browns are more likely to open the season with Deshaun Watson under center because of everything the franchise has invested in him.

“You know I’m a Sanders caper. I cape for Deion and Shedeur a lot. I think at the end of the day, they’re going to see Deshaun Watson and go, ‘All right, you came back from your Achilles. We’ve put so much into you. So much grief for the decision that we’ve made,” Eisen said. “We’re going to see what we’ve got in you before we move on.’ If the first half of the season doesn’t go well enough, they’re gonna be like, ‘Then we need to see what we got in Shedeur.’ Because, boy, do we have draft choices up the you-know-what over the next few drafts, including the quarterback-heavy one next year. You know that’s the way it’s going to go.”

It is not a glowing endorsement of Watson, who is heading into the final year of his contract. It’s more of a reality check on the business side of the Browns’ quarterback situation. Cleveland gave Watson a fully guaranteed $230 million contract after acquiring him in a blockbuster trade. The move has brought the Browns little return on the field and plenty of criticism off it. Watson has appeared in just 19 games for Cleveland since the deal and is coming off a long recovery from an Achilles injury.

Shedeur Sanders Still Has Shot to Change Browns’ Plans

Sanders has not been interested in turning the Browns’ quarterback battle into a running commentary. Asked during minicamp to assess where things stood between him and Deshaun Watson, Sanders kept his answer brief.

“I don’t think I’m a judge. I’m not a judge,” Sanders said.

Sanders has focused more on his development than the depth chart. He said his goal is to come to practice each day, grow within the offense and become more comfortable operating under new head coach Todd Monken.

“Y’all look at it as like a competition. It’s not really nothing I’m just focused on. I’m focused on developing as a player, like doing everything, getting as comfortable as I can in the offense and the scheme and playing with that confidence I had,” Sanders said. “So I think that’s all I’m really looking for and trying to improve every day, whether it’s mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. Like, I’m just trying to be a better person every day. And wherever that falls into place, it’ll fall into place.”

Monken has seen progress from Sanders, especially in how quickly he is operating.

“Well, I just think he’s doing a better job…I think he’s being more decisive. Now, it’s easy to say we’re not in pads. It just feels like he’s making quicker decisions. The ball’s coming out of his hands, which he’s gonna have to do,” Monken said. “Not that he doesn’t have playmaking ability, because he does, but his ability to process quicker and get the ball out of his hands and eliminate lost yardage plays is going to be huge for us to be able to stack plays and score, which is ultimately the number one thing here.”

Shedeur Sanders Can Still Become Browns’ Long-Term Answer

GettyThe Cleveland Browns have not reached a decision between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson.

Monken made it clear the Browns are not ready to make a call. Cleveland wrapped minicamp without a starter and will carry the competition into training camp.

“We’ll start off all camp just like we’ve been doing. We’ll alternate those guys,” Monken said.

It’s been a long road for Sanders. Once viewed as a potential first-round pick, Sanders slid to the fifth round before the Browns ended his wait. His rookie season gave Cleveland a glimpse of both the upside and the growing pains. Sanders went 3-4 as a starter, completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. It was not enough to lock him in as the answer, but it was enough to keep him firmly in the conversation.

Watson is trying to save his career, while Sanders is trying to prove he should be more than a developmental option. Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green are also part of the room, but the main focus has shifted toward whether Watson or Sanders can give Cleveland winning play.

If Sanders proves the doubters wrong, it would be a major score for the Browns. They would have found a potential long-term quarterback without spending a premium pick, giving them flexibility to rebuild other parts of the roster.