CLEVELAND BROWNS star Deshaun Watson’s latest fitness update could throw a huge spanner in the works for Shedeur Sanders.
Watson was expected to be out for the 2025 season but he’s fighting back quickly to keep his place as a starting quarterback.
The Browns responded quickly, and brutally, to Watson’s surgery on his twice-torn Achilles tendon.
With the Clemson graduate seemingly written off, the franchise immediately moved to revamp their quarterback room.
This offseason, the Browns brought in FOUR new quarterbacks to compete for the starting job.
Joe Flacco was signed in free agency and is on track to be the chosen one.
The Browns also traded for Kenny Pickett, who currently slots in as No. 2 but is fighting for the starter spot.
The QB room was rounded out in the NFL Draft, when the Browns picked Dillon Gabriel out of Oregon in the third round and Shedeur Sanders out of Colorado in the fifth round.
It was a mystery to everyone when first-round prospect Sanders suffered one of the most shocking draft slides in NFL history.
And the 23-year-old Colorado graduate could be cut if the Browns think Watson might be available for even half of the 2025 season.
Watson, 29, has recovered quicker than expected and appears to be fuming with the Browns moving to replace him.
The 2017 first round pick is now out of his walking boot and has been throwing to Jerry Jeudy and David Bell indoors.
The trickiest part about a potential Watson comeback is the rookies.
Already, the Browns going to have to trade or release one of their four healthy quarterbacks before the start of the regular season, if not before the start of training camp.
So a Watson return could quickly seal one of Sanders’ and Gabriel’s fate within the next few weeks.
Sanders and Gabriel duked it out at Browns minicamp while Watson continues to rehab.
Browns insider Tony Grossi spoke up after training camp, saying Gabriel had the upper hand after the workouts.
“I thought both days, Dillon Gabriel looked a little bit better,” he said on 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Watson was signed by the Browns to a fully guaranteed five-year $230 million contract in 2022.
He has only managed to start 19 games and has a record of 9-10. He has thrown for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
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