What does Deshaun Watson getting the first preseason start mean for the QB competition?

When two quarterbacks are competing for one job, it's often perceived that the player getting the first crack as to any of the various checkpoints has the edge.

And so it's fair to wonder whether the decision to give Deshaun Watson the start in Cleveland's preseason opener, with Shedeur Sanders getting the start in Week 2, means that Watson has the edge.

There's another way to analyze this development. The preseason opener is a road game. For Week 2, the Browns are at home.

Watson remains unpopular among many, if not most, Browns fans. If his preseason start had happened before a pro-Browns crowd, there may have been plenty of anti-Watson voices making themselves heard.

By getting his preseason start in Chicago, Watson will be able to operate without any such noise.

But it also raises the stakes for Deshaun. If he's not crisp and clean and clearly better than Shedeur, Sanders will walk out of the tunnel to a loud ovation for the Week 2 game against the Bills, with maximum support from the fans. And it could fuel Shedeur's effort to finally seize the job.

The overriding problem for the Browns is that neither guy has run away with the competition. On Saturday, Watson gets a chance to make his case without having Browns fans on his case. If he doesn't, the stage will be set for Shedeur to deliver the kind of performance that will make him the Week 1 starter.

Of course, winning the starting job to start the season (whether it's Watson or Sanders) may also include securing the reality of being the first guy to be benched, if the 2026 season doesn't get off to a good start.

And with the first four games against the Jaguars, Buccaneers, Panthers, and Steelers, the mini-bye after the Thursday night home game against Pittsburgh could open the window for a change from QB1 to QB2.

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Yahoo Sports. Open at source →