Shedeur Sanders enters his second NFL season with a genuine but uphill path to the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback job — and the early betting odds make that picture clearer than ever.
FanDuel has released its Week 1 starting quarterback odds for Cleveland, and veteran Deshaun Watson sits at the top of the board. Sanders follows at a competitive but secondary position, with second-year signal caller Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green listed as longshots. The release of those odds adds a sharper lens to what was already shaping up as one of the more closely watched quarterback battles of the 2025 preseason.
Sanders Faces an Uphill Battle in Cleveland
The Browns’ quarterback room is crowded, but the hierarchy is beginning to take shape. Watson, a veteran with years of NFL starting experience, enters camp as the favorite — a reflection of both his track record and the financial commitment Cleveland has made to him. Sanders, the former Colorado standout who drew significant attention during the draft process, is positioned as the primary challenger.
Cleveland Browns Week 1 Starting QB Odds via FanDuel:
- Deshaun Watson -174
- Shedeur Sanders +136
- Dillon Gabriel +5500
- Taylen Green +8000
The gap between Watson and Sanders is notable, but Sanders’ +136 odds are far from a long shot. They reflect a real possibility — not a courtesy listing — and suggest oddsmakers see a legitimate competition developing rather than a foregone conclusion.
Week 1 Browns starting QB odds are out 👀👀👀👀
Deshaun Watson -174
Shedeur Sanders +136
Dillon Gabriel +5500Who do you think should be QB1?
(via @FDSportsbook) pic.twitter.com/0dqPT0weiR
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 13, 2026
Watson’s Hold on the Job Is Not Guaranteed
The Browns’ decision to lean on Watson is logical on its surface. He is an experienced starter, and Cleveland’s front office has significant resources committed to him. In a league where continuity matters and rookie quarterbacks face steep learning curves, starting with Watson while monitoring Sanders’ development is a reasonable organizational approach.
But reasonable does not mean permanent. Watson’s recent injury history and inconsistent stretches of play have introduced real uncertainty around his ceiling. If he struggles to establish command of the offense during training camp and the preseason, the door opens for Sanders to make a stronger case.
Shedeur Must Separate Himself This Summer
For Sanders, the path to a Week 1 start runs directly through training camp. Head coach Todd Monken and Cleveland’s decision-makers will need to see something that goes beyond solid play — he will need to show that he is decisively better than Watson to displace him before the season begins.
That is a high bar, but not an impossible one. He arrives with a polished college résumé, a reputation for poise under pressure, and the kind of football intelligence that translates quickly at the professional level. Colorado fans who followed his college career closely know what he is capable of when given the opportunity to operate freely.
The coming months will determine whether those qualities are enough to move the needle in Cleveland. Training camp begins this summer, and every snap Sanders takes will be evaluated not just by coaches but by a fan base hungry for signs of what the next chapter looks like at quarterback.
What the Odds Really Tell Us
Odds are a snapshot, not a verdict. At +136, Sanders is positioned as a legitimate contender — someone the market believes has a real chance, not a placeholder. That distinction matters in a city that has cycled through quarterbacks at a pace that has left fans understandably skeptical of any projection.
Whether he can close that gap before Week 1 is the central storyline of the Browns’ offseason. The answer will likely come not from a single moment, but from a steady accumulation of evidence over weeks of practice, competition, and evaluation. Cleveland is watching. So is the rest of the league.
Source: Yahoo Sports