Shedeur Sanders might be the Browns' starting QB sooner than you think

Shedeur Sanders might be the Browns’ starting QB sooner than you think originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Cleveland Browns have finally made their decision at quarterback, going with the veteran Deshaun Watson over the second-year QB Shedeur Sanders.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported the news Monday morning, and this decision isn’t a huge surprise considering how much buzz there had been about Watson being QB1 for much of the offseason. However, Sanders is still likely to start at some point this year.

As Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team pointed out, the Browns might actually switch to Sanders sooner than many might think. Instead of dragging this out deep into the season, the Browns might make the switch within the first few weeks of the season.

Shedeur Sanders could become Browns starting QB sooner than expected

“Part of the thought process behind naming Deshaun Watson the Browns’ starter is that they open the season with two road games (At JAX, at TB) before returning home in Week 3,” Meirov shared. “That would give Watson two games to prove himself away from the fanbase. If he struggles, Shedeur Sanders could take over in front of the home crowd after the boos Watson received Saturday.”

This is a very interesting theory proposed by Meirov, and it actually makes a lot of sense, considering Watson’s press conference after getting booed in preseason Week 2 by the Browns’ fan base.

The first home game of the year could potentially see Sanders as the starter over Watson, as the Browns could pivot to avoid a scenario where the fans are booing their starting QB at the home opener.

But would the Browns just bench Watson for no reason other than to avoid playing him in front of his home crowd? It’s hard to imagine that Todd Monken would make such a decision just three weeks into the season.

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However, given the tough season-opening matchups against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Watson might struggle enough to force a change naturally.

And even if he doesn’t play great and is just mediocre, Monken could make the switch, hoping for a spark from Sanders.

What makes such a chance interesting is that their Week 3 matchup, in the home opener, is against the Carolina Panthers. Their defense isn’t as good as the Jaguars’ or Buccaneers’ defenses, so the Week 3 starter could have an easier matchup.

The Browns could start Watson in Weeks 1 and 2 in tough matchups, then go with Sanders in Week 3 in an easier matchup, potentially justifying keeping the second-year QB as the starter into the future.

Considering the boos that rained down on Watson from the Browns home fanbase, going with Sanders in Week 3 for the home opener might not be such a bad idea, as long as Watson isn’t playing at a very high level through two weeks.

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