Report: Deshaun Watson emerged from Browns minicamp as favorite to be QB1

The Browns didn’t make any public pronouncements about their quarterback depth chart after final week’s minicamp practices, nevertheless it seems they’ve began to put one collectively behind the scenes.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reviews that Deshaun Watson got here out of the minicamp as the favorite to be the group’s beginning quarterback in Week 1. Watson and Shedeur Sanders each received first-team work in these practices, however Watson reportedly wound up with extra reps with the starters.

Watson didn’t play in any respect in 2025 after tearing his Achilles, however he has much more expertise than Sanders, Dillon Gabriel or rookie Taylen Green and that seems to be carrying plenty of weight for the Browns.

The group is putting in a brand new offense below head coach Todd Monken and Watson has an extended historical past of studying totally different schemes over the course of his profession. The remainder of the Browns’ offense can be skewing younger and the group values ​​their skill to get these gamers in the fitting spots.

There’s about six weeks left within the offseason program and Sanders may have an opportunity to change the outlook, however Cabot writes that the second-year participant “will have to dazzle the coaching staff to land atop the depth chart heading into training camp.”