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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has some work to do.

Deshaun Watson is trying to claim the starting job in Cleveland but Shedeur Sanders isn’t making it easy.

Sanders has closed the gap on Watson with the offseason program wrapped up. The duo will now use training camp and the preseason to make their cases.

Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com said there’s been a noticeable shift with how Sanders is viewed within the organization. He worked “overtime” on the mental side of learning Todd Monken’s offense and it’s paid off.

“Over the last two weeks, the messaging around Sanders changed drastically, and a paradigm shift had taken place in the competition: suddenly, he had caught Watson from behind to make it a tight race heading into camp, and even seized the momentum during mandatory minicamp this week.”

Deshaun Watson’s Accuracy Significant Question for Browns

Watson is still in the mix after missing all of last season recovering from Achilles surgery. While he has displayed an understanding offense and some veteran savvy, consistency and accuracy have been a question for the former Pro Bowler.

“Watson, who’s always been known for his accuracy, was at times inconsistent in camp, following a deep completion with a miss on a shorter route,” Cabot said. “Following a partially-torn rotator cuff in 2023 and surgery to repair the fractured glenoid bone and torn labrum in his right throwing shoulder that year, Watson is still working towards his pre-injury consistency, and will likely need to improve it to win the job.”

Watson spoke to the media for the first time in nearly 20 months during minicamp. He said his health is finally in a place where he feels like he can be himself again.

“I’m fully healthy, ready to go. This last year I was able to conquer that,” Watson said. “And I’ll just say I haven’t really been 100% since that Tennessee game in ’23.”

Browns Waiting on Making QB1 Decision

The Browns had hoped to have a quarterback hierarchy established heading into training camp. It would have allowed the team to give all the reps to the passer who would be running out in Week 1 as the starter. But it became clear the Browns need to wait on a decision to see Sanders and Watson in live situations.

“It’s a little bit easier to make a faster evaluation when you have a defensive line that’s coming at you full speed, when you really have to react to the full-speed aspect of the game,” Browns QB coach Mike Bajakian said. “I don’t see it as a challenge. I see it as, ‘hey, I would think it should declare itself pretty quickly.’”

Monken is not disappointed by the development. He’s stressed that he sees both Sanders and Watson as starting-caliber quarterbacks.

“I don’t see it that way,” Monken said. “It would be if I didn’t think either one of them were capable of starting. It would feel different if I didn’t feel like their progression hadn’t gotten to this point where I think they both can start and play winning football. I’m convinced of it.”

Sanders, Watson and the rest of the Browns now get a summer reset. After that, the quarterback competition gets real.

J.R. DeGroote Browns beat writer for Heavy.com. Covering the NFL and NBA since 2019. ASU Cronkite grad. More about J.R. DeGroote