Who Should I Start? Deshaun Watson or Sam Darnold

Sunday, February 15, 4:09 AM

The Cleveland Browns "believe" that quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) will compete with Shedeur Sanders for the starting role ahead of the 2026 season, according to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. Watson started throwing again this past week, and he's expected to be a real factor in the Browns' quarterback competition this summer. Watson last suited up in 2024 when he went 1-6 across seven games with 1,148 passing yards, six total touchdowns, and six turnovers. Meanwhile, Sanders is coming off a rookie season in which he tallied 1,400 passing yards, eight total touchdowns, and 11 turnovers across eight games (seven starts). Neither quarterback has played particularly strong football in the NFL recently, but nevertheless, it sounds like the Browns feel comfortable with one of those two quarterbacks being their starter next year. In fact, Wolfe adds that Cleveland wants to use one or both of its first-round picks on offensive weapons but doesn't expect to draft a quarterback in the first round.

Monday, February 9, 12:37 PM

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold completed 19 of his 38 pass attempts for 202 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Super Bowl LX victory over the New England Patriots. He also rushed for five yards and took just one sack. The veteran signal-caller didn't make a ton of breathtaking plays, but more importantly, he played turnover-free football while letting the defense and rushing attack win the big game. It was a storybook moment for Darnold, who started his career as a so-called first-round "bust" in New York. His NFL voyage took him through Carolina, San Francisco, and Minnesota before he signed with the Seahawks last offseason. During his first year in Seattle, he played all 17 regular-season games, completing 67.7% of his pass attempts for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. For the second year in a row, he eclipsed 4,000 passing yards and was named to the Pro Bowl. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba at his disposal and a fantastic offensive line in front of him, Darnold should be due for more success in the future. He'll rank as a fringe top-14 quarterback entering 2026 fantasy football drafts.