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Despite his father Deion Sanders suggesting that God helped elect him to the Pro Bowl, the Cleveland Browns are reportedly exploring options other than Shedeur Sanders as their starting quarterback next season. QBs that the moribund franchise will reportedly consider include the already in-house Deshaun Watson, free agent Malik Willis, and rookie Ty Simpson.
Speaking to reporters at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis this week, Browns GM Andrew Berry said “it’s too early to say” whether Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson will be the starting quarterback next season, and that the team is “looking outside” at other options.
Shedeur Sanders — who played in eight games during his rookie season and completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, with just a 6.6 yards-per-attempt average — was named to the Pro Bowl as s replacement for New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. His selection to the Pro Bowl, however, had many fans and former players suggesting that the Pro Bowl was no longer merit-based.
Cleveland Browns exploring quarterback options such as Malik Willis, rookie Ty Simpson, and Deshaun Watson instead of Shedeur Sanders
According to Cleveland.com‘s Mary Kay Cabot, external options that the Bro wns are considering including pending free agent quarterback Malik Willis and incoming rookie signal-caller Ty Simpson, whom the Browns would consider drafting out of the University of Alabama with either the 6th, 24th or 39th overall picks in this spring’s NFL Draft.
After he was hired by the team, Cabot also reported that new head coach Todd Monken was intrigued by Deshaun Watson, adding that “once he began practicing in December, some in the organization felt that “he was the best quarterback on the field during that stretch.”
Watson — the widely controversial quarterback due to numerous sexual misconduct allegations and lawsuits — missed the entirety of the 2025 seasons due to an Achilles injury and has not played in a complete season since 2020.