Steelers Should Be Rooting For This Browns QB to Win Battle
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are always monitoring the goings-on of their divisional rival, the Cleveland Browns. The two foes have always battled, but the two franchises find themselves in similar situations.
Both the Browns and the Steelers are in precarious positions with their quarterbacks. The Steelers have a bit more certainty as 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers returns for one final go in Pittsburgh. Contrarily, the Browns have an open competition for their Week 1 starter.
It was assumed that Deshaun Watson would be the starter in Cleveland, but according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, second-year QB Shedeur Sanders is close behind. He may ultimately surpass Watson by the time the regular season rolls around, but Steelers fans should be cheering for the veteran to keep hold of the starting job for one specific reason: it's the worst possible one for Cleveland.
"Deshaun Watson went into the spring as the clear favorite, and then Shedeur Sanders has bridged the gap at least somewhat."@JFowlerESPN believes the Browns' QB battle will go into the preseason pic.twitter.com/R1G21GO09u
- NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 18, 2026
Why Steelers Fans Should Prefer Watson
Look, Shedeur Sanders wasn't impressive as a rookie, but that is okay. Can you name any rookies who have won a Super Bowl?
I'll wait.
Sanders might not be a franchise guy, but he showed glimpses of being solid during his brief time as the starter in Cleveland. What better way to ruin any potential progress he made than to relegate him to the bench in order to give Watson his grand return?
This is the same player who faced more accusations against him between 2021 and 2024 than he played games (23 to 19). And even when Watson was on the field, he hasn't been that impressive. He's 9-10 over his last 19 starts with 19 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions.
And to top it all off, Watson hasn't been healthy when off-field issues aren't the most pressing concern. He hasn't played in more than seven games in a season since the 2020 campaign as a member of the Houston Texans. Since joining the Browns, he's played in six, six and seven games, respectively, over three seasons.
But sure, give that player the starting job.
Steelers' Defense Should Be Grinning Ear-to-Ear
What this all means for the Steelers is that their defense will feast on the Browns during their two meetings in 2026.
Watson has made three total starts against the Steelers in his NFL career, two coming during his time in Cleveland. The results have been disappointing for him. He's 0-3 in those meetings, with five touchdowns and four interceptions.
He's also been sacked 18 total times.
That means the Steelers have consistently disrupted Watson's game in their meetings, and that should continue in 2026. The team didn't face much pushback from Sanders in their 2025 showdowns, but they will face even less from Watson in 2026. That's why the Steelers and their fans should be rooting for him to win the starting job when the regular season begins.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/steelers/onsi as Steelers Should Be Rooting For This Browns QB to Win Battle.
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This story was originally published June 20, 2026 at 2:00 PM.