Shedeur Sanders’ hopes of holding onto the starting quarterback role may have taken another blow after veteran Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot issued yet another warning about the competition inside Cleveland’s quarterback room. With Cleveland scheduled to play six of their first nine games away from home, the reporter identified a factor that will influence head coach Todd Monken to give Watson the key to the offense over Sanders.
“I really believe that Todd Monken will choose his starting quarterback based on who gives the Browns the best chance to win, but if Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are really close down to the wire, the road-heavy early slate could be a factor,” Mary Kay Cabot wrote. “The Browns will field arguably the youngest offense in the NFL, with a rookie left tackle in Spencer Fano, a possible rookie starting center in Parker Brailsford, two rookie receivers in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, and second-year players in tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson.”
Previously, Monken had stated that he would choose the starting quarterback based on performance in training camp. Cabot also believes that Monken will be following that path. However, there is also the aspect of making the Browns return to winning ways. In the last two seasons, they had only won eight games.
So, there is a very good chance that Monken will also hope to make his selection based on who gives the Browns the best chance to win. That is where the reporter hinted that Sanders could lose the race. If both quarterbacks are equally good in training, the HC is likely to lean towards Watson for his experience.
The reason? The franchise will boast one of the youngest offenses in the league. Rookie left tackle Spencer Fano and rookie center Parker Brailsford are the favorites to start. Furthermore, the team will rely on rookie receivers K.C. Concepcion and Denzel Boston. The tight end and running back positions will feature second-year players like Harold Fannin Jr., Quinshon Judkins, and Dylan Sampson.
These stats further widen Watson’s chances while narrowing Sander’s hopes. Besides, Watson has only had 19 starts in the last four seasons. Injuries have plagued his career. With this season being his last on the Browns’ contract, he will look forward to making the best of it if he ends up being the starter. Unfortunately, this news came around the same time when Shedeur Sanders was set to lose his one advantage over Watson.
Deion Sanders’ interference said to prove costly to Shedeur Sanders
“I want to meet him because I think it’s vital that as a coach, not the dad, I can tell him a few things about Shedeur, how to get him going,” said Deion Sanders during a live appearance on The Barbershop podcast Thursday.
It is great that Deion wants to help his son, but his wanting to help Monken on how to coach Shedeur did not sit well with the fans. Many feel it to be disrespectful to a veteran coach like Monken. Of course, Sanders has excelled under his father, adding over 7,300 passing yards and 64 touchdowns in the last two seasons at Colorado.
But every coach has a different method of approach. Moreover, parents meddling in the NFL can leave a poor impression. Wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside is an example of how parents’ interference can ruin careers. After getting drafted in 2019, he trained with the Philadelphia Eagles in South Philly. Since it was a hot day, his mother opened her umbrella to shade him from the sun.
While others were in the sun, he was under the shade. It left a bad impression, and not long after that, his career spiraled downwards. Last, he was seen playing for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League.
Besides, Shedeur Sanders has always strayed away from off-field controversies. Deion’s meddling in the Browns’ business could take away that credibility. Even Deshaun Watson had numerous women who filed civil lawsuits against him. In 2022, the NFL fined him $5 million and suspended him for 11 games.
Overall, the window seems to be closing for Shedeur Sanders. The only hope he can hold onto is to outperform Watson in the summer training camp. With still over a month left for the camp, it remains to be seen whether he climbs up the ranks or ends up being a depth player.
