Mark Schlereth gave his two cents on the Deshaun Watson vs. Shedeur Sanders’ starting quarterback battle. Schlereth stated on the Wednesday episode of “92.3 The Fan” that there is a “clean slate” for Deshaun Watson, while noting that Shedeur Sanders still has room to mature.
Schlereth faced backlash from fans for his long-term relationship with Shedeur’s father, Coach Prime. However, the veteran insider doubled down on the criticism.
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“My job is to tell the truth based on the knowledge that I have accumulated not based on my personal relationships.” Schlereth wrote on X on Thursday.
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Schlereth had some choice words for Sanders’ fan base on “92.3 The Fan.”
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“The coaches on the staff, they have no reason to lie to me. There was a lot of work to be done [with Sanders], and on film, when you study him, there was a lot of work left to do,” the three-time Super Bowl champion said.
“So it doesn’t surprise me that Watson’s ahead of the game. Doesn’t surprise me that the Sanders family had something to say about it.
“They are very vocal when it comes to their support of Shedeur. And I think Shedeur has got some growing up to do, like we all did as young players… There were aspects of his game, based on the coaches I talked to and I talked to a bunch of them that needed to develop.”
Shedeur Sanders has his work cut out ahead of the 2026 season. Three-time Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson is fit and raring to go, Dillon Gabriel remains in contention for a backup roster spot, and Taylen Green is viewed as an interesting prospect fresh out of college.
Todd Monken has remained tight-lipped on who’s going to be the starting quarterback in the upcoming campaign. However, many signs point to Watson rather than Sanders.
Shedeur Sanders gearing up for Year 2
Shedeur Sanders had a decent but unspectacular rookie season with the Cleveland Browns. The Browns selected the former Jackson State and Colorado standout in the fifth round of the 2025 draft.
It took two trades and a concussion to Dillon Gabriel for Sanders to start his first NFL game. The former Buffaloes product did not look back as he remained the starter for the rest of his rookie season.
Sanders posted a stat line of 1,400 passing yards, 7 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 8 games (7 starts). He earned a surprise Pro Bowl nod as a replacement for the Super Bowl-bound Drake Maye. In doing so, Sanders became the second member of his family (after Coach Prime) to feature in the Pro Bowl.
Next up for Shedeur Sanders is Year 2. He is in a quarterback battle with Deshaun Watson and potentially Dillon Gabriel. All eyes will be on the Browns’ training facility as they look to decide their QB1 for the 2026 campaign.
Edited by Nick Igbokwe
