Who Should I Start? Deshaun Watson or Sam Howell

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.

Tuesday, September 2, 9:50 PM

Quarterback Sam Howell is likely to serve as the Philadelphia Eagles' QB2 behind Jalen Hurts in the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Eagles acquired Howell from the Minnesota Vikings in late August after projected backup quarterback Tanner McKee (thumb) went down with a fractured thumb. McKee is not expected to be ready for Week 1, but he is expected to re-take Philadelphia's QB2 role when fully healthy. If pressed into action, Howell has 18 games of starting experience in the NFL. He led the NFL in pass attempts (612) and interceptions (21) in 17 games for the Washington Commanders in 2023.