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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will compete for the starting spot with Shedeur Sanders.

Cleveland Browns fans may be loathe to hear it, but quarterback Deshaun Watson is making progress within the building to return to his former status of QB1 following a year and a half sidelined with a twice-torn Achilles tendon.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN spoke about the situation on “SportsCenter,” citing Watson’s relationship with new head coach Todd Monken as well as the quarterback’s fit in the new system Monken is bringing over from his time as the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens over the past three seasons.

“I’m told he’s hit it off with Todd Monken, who’s got an offensive concept, some elements that Watson has run in the past and been his best at — a little bit of a departure from what they were running with Kevin Stefanski,” Fowler reported, per TheDawgsPodcast on Instagram.

Talk of Deshaun Watson ‘Salvaging’ Disastrous 2022 Browns’ Trade Begins as Training Camp Approaches

GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Fowler went on to discuss the possibility of Cleveland “salvaging” the catastrophic trade for Watson four years ago, which sent three first-round picks and three mid-round picks to the Houston Texans for the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback.

“Talking to people around the league, they believe that Watson could eventually earn this job because he’s a veteran presence and if he can get back to just 70 or 80 percent of what he was from those Houston days, maybe they can sort of salvage this trade — get one productive year out of him,” Fowler continued.

That deal already set the Browns back across multiple drafts in the early 2020s, and the financial implications remain enormous, as Cleveland agreed to arguably the worst contract in NFL history — a five-year deal worth $230 million, which the franchise fully guaranteed.

That contract carries a $45 million salary cap hit in 2026. And, due to multiple restructures to manage the sometimes league-leading cap hits for Watson in seasons past, the Browns will eat cap hits of $34.7 million, $25.7 million, $16.9 million and $8.9 million through 2027-30, respectively.

As such, salvaging arguably the worst trade in league history followed immediately by perhaps the worst contract the sport has ever seen isn’t something Cleveland can realistically accomplish, even if Watson is the MVP next season.

Across four years with the Browns, Watson has started 19 games (9-10) and tallied 3,365 passing yards, 19 TDs and 12 INTs. Factoring in Watson’s average annual salary over four years, the Browns have paid him just shy of $10 million per start — or $10 million per touchdown pass.

Shedeur Sanders Represents Deshaun Watson’s Primary Competition for Starting QB Role

GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Watson faces second-year QB Shedeur Sanders as the primary competition for the starting role in 2026, while Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green — third-round and sixth-round picks in 2025 and 2026, respectively — are also on the roster heading into the summer.

Regardless of how the upcoming campaign plays out, the common conception across the league is that the Browns will hunt a franchise quarterback in the 2027 draft, which analysts predict will be replete with high-end talent at the position, similar to the 2024 class.

Two years ago, NFL teams selected QBs with the first three picks in Round 1 and six of the first 12 overall selections.