Deshaun Watson is the betting favorite to take the first snap for the Cleveland Browns in the 2026 campaign, according to new odds released by FanDuel Sportsbook. Watson is listed at -174, giving him an implied probability of 63.5% to win the job, while Shedeur Sanders is next at +136.
That is a striking turn in a quarterback room that has already seen Sanders take over as Cleveland’s starter in the second half of the 2025 NFL season. Watson, who missed the entire 2025 season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, is reportedly healthy enough to return this year and is expected to compete in training camp for the role he once held under a five-year, $230 million deal signed in 2022.
The market also pegs Dillon Gabriel and the Browns’ sixth-round draft pick, Taylen Green, far behind the top two contenders at +5500 each. Sanders led Cleveland to a 3-4 record as the starter last year, completing 56.6% of his passes with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, a mixed run that left the Browns searching for steadier production.
Watson’s case is built less on recent performance than on the belief that Cleveland still wants to see whether the investment can be salvaged. In four seasons with the Browns, Watson played 19 games and went 9-10, completing 61.2% of his passes with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His legal troubles and limited production when healthy have reduced his standing with the team, but the odds show he remains the player to beat entering camp. That dynamic is part of why Cleveland’s quarterback situation is being framed as one of the summer’s most fascinating battles, and why the edge for Watson over Sanders in Browns QB race remains a live storyline.
The first true test comes in training camp, where Watson’s health, Sanders’ grip on the huddle and Cleveland’s appetite for another reset will be judged together. For now, the odds say Watson has the inside track. The Browns still have to decide whether that is enough to hand him the job again.
