RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Aug 15, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) prepares to run a play against the Chicago Bears during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Deshaun Watson is officially the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback to begin the 2026 season, but one NFL analyst doesn’t think he’ll have a hold on the job long.
Watson was officially named Cleveland’s QB1 this week, a decision that was highly controversial , to say the least. During the team’s final preseason tune-up against the New England Patriots Thursday night, Amazon Prime Video analyst and former longtime NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick made it clear he thinks Watson will “fail” this season and be replaced by backup Shedeur Sanders.
Ryan Fitzpatrick: “Once [Deshaun Watson] fails, Shedeur (Sanders) is going to jump into this thing, and he’s going to be the guy. And this city is going to be behind him.”
Kirk Herbstreit: “You think he’ll fail?”
Fitzpatrick: “Yeah. It’s gonna happen.” pic.twitter.com/UjlgGpDXrG
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 28, 2026
‘It’s gonna happen’
Fitzpatrick shared his prediction during the third quarter of Cleveland’s 37-13 win over New England.
“I also think this is set up here for Shedeur,” the 17-year NFL vet said .
“I mean, Deshaun, once he fails, Shedeur is going to jump into this thing, and he’s going to be the guy — and this city is going to be behind him.”
“You think he’ll fail?” Fitzpatrick’s colleague Kirk Herbstreit asked.
“Yeah, it’s gonna happen,” Fitzpatrick said, dropping the hammer. “Shedeur is playing this year. I think all three of these guys — I think [third-stringer Dillon] Gabriel is going to have the chance to play as well. This is such a young roster with a lot of changing parts and a lot of new guys, so they’re going to struggle on offense this year.”
QB carousel in Cleveland
Neither Watson nor Sanders, the second-year pro out of Colorado, played Thursday night. Gabriel, last year’s third-round pick, started and completed 12-of-15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns.
Taylen Green, the Browns’ 2026 sixth-round pick, took over for Gabriel and completed 5-of-7 passes for 27 yards while rushing eight times for 66 yards.
“That’s why we played them,” first-year head coach Todd Monken said postgame . “We’ve got a lot to talk about. I thought they both did some really good things. The way they played is how I thought they’d play. Dillon within himself, very poised, and then Taylen was going to have some splash plays, some plays where you get him on the perimeter, use his athleticism, and keep working to refine his passing. It was fun to watch him play. But just like every position, we’re going to have to cut it down. We can’t keep everybody.”
The post ‘It’s gonna happen’: Analyst makes brutal on-air Deshaun Watson prediction appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions .
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