Deshaun Watson Taking Shedeur 'Under His Wing'
Deshaun Watson Taking Shedeur 'Under His Wing' originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Cleveland Browns are expected to give each of their four new quarterbacks an opportunity to earn the starting job at training camp later this summer.
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Veteran Joe Flacco returns to Cleveland to join trade acquisition Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders to create the most interesting and populated quarterback competition in the league.
While the four take their turns in drills, Deshaun Watson will look on from the sidelines as he recovers from another torn Achilles tendon suffered last season as the Browns' starter.
Amid the coaching staff's decision on who should play under center, Watson has offered a hand of encouragement to his teammates, according to Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Throughout OTAs and minicamp, Watson has reportedly "been an awesome teammate inside the quarterback room and meeting rooms, and has been a great cheerleader for the four quarterbacks vying for the starting job," Cabot wrote on Sunday.
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By the sound of the report, it appears Watson has taken a particular interest in the rookie fifth-round pick Sanders.
"Watson, famously dubbed a 'big swing and a miss' by Browns owner Jimmy Haslam at the NFL Annual Meetings in March, has also taken Sanders under his wing to help him come up the learning curve quickly, and it's been working," Cabot said.
"Sanders' Hall of Fame dad, Deion, publicly supported Watson when some Browns fans cheered while he was down on the field in tears with his re-torn Achilles Oct. 20 against the Bengals, and Watson is only too happy to repay the favor."
Watson singed a five-year $230 million contract with Cleveland in 2022. He isn't expected to be healthy for a "significant portion", if not all of the 2025 season after undergoing surgery in January.
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Although he'll cost over $35 million on Cleveland's cap this year, he is making use his team's commitment to him through his presence and leadership while he isn't able to play.
For Sanders, this mentorship should be beneficial as he has made headlines as of late after receiving multiple reckless driving citations.
Watson - no stranger to allegations and legal trouble, himself - seems to be taking a mature leadership approach to the 2025 season as he recovers from injury and helps the next Browns starting quarterback anyway he can.
Related: Browns' Shedeur Sanders Receives Striking Comparison from Cleveland Legend
Related: Browns Urged To Make Major QB Decision
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
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