Former Clemson football quarterback Deshaun Watson is back in the middle of an NFL quarterback battle, and for now, it sounds like the former Tiger has the early edge.
Watson reportedly came out of the Cleveland Browns minicamp as the favorite to be the team’s starting quarterback in Week 1. The Browns have not made anything official, but Watson’s experience appears to be giving him the advantage over Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and rookie Taylen Green at this stage of the offseason.
On the first day of the team's minicamp, Sanders was expected to get more time with the first team, but Watson ended up getting more reps. On the second day, Watson was the first quarterback to get any first-team reps and had the most of the QBs on the day.
For Clemson fans, Watson’s NFL career has been a strange one to track. At his best, he looked like one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in football. In 2020 with the Houston Texans, he threw for 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while completing 70.2 percent of his passes. That version of Watson was the same type of playmaker Clemson fans watched take over college football.
Things have looked very different since his move to Cleveland. Watson threw for 1,102 yards in 2022, 1,115 yards in 2023, and 1,148 yards in 2024, never reaching more than seven touchdown passes in any of those seasons. His passer rating also stayed below 85.0 in all three years with the Browns, a major drop from the 112.4 rating he posted in 2020.
Since Watson was acquired ahead of the 2021 season, he has played in 19 of a possible 85 games, throwing for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, while facing injuries and a suspension.
Report: Deshaun Watson emerged from Browns minicamp as favorite to be QB1. https://t.co/gRdr577KSu
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 29, 2026
Watson is no longer being judged only by what he did in Houston or what he meant to Clemson or any off-field issues. He is trying to prove he can still be a reliable starting quarterback after injuries, inconsistency, and a crowded Browns quarterback room.
Former Clemson running back becomes NFL owners first ever draft pick📸 Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina, Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images https://t.co/k6QypTHfQr pic.twitter.com/or9Mlm4rqE
There is still a long way to go before Cleveland has to make a final decision, and Sanders is expected to get his chance to push for the job. But as minicamp wraps up, Watson has at least put himself in the position every quarterback wants entering the summer.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Deshaun Watson emerges as a early QB1 favorite in Browns minicamp