- NFL. Deshaun Watson overhears unwanted comment from the Cleveland Browns about Shedeur Sander and knows his future is shaking
- NFL. Shilo Sanders attitude already causing murmurs with Buccaneers' head coaches as he walks in like he is the boss during practice
It almost feels like a setup. Like someone's quietly pouring soap on the stairs while Deshaun Watson tries to climb his way back up.
The Cleveland Browns quarterback isn't just battling a torn Achilles or the weight of a $230 million contract, he's facing what some fans are calling "the three snakes" slithering around his position. Poisonous ones..
Whether intentional or not, the obstacles around Watson are starting to look less like coincidence and more like a script from a slow burning sports thriller.
Deshaun's future looks blurry
Snake number one: Shedeur Sanders. The rookie with the swagger of a veteran, the talent to turn heads, and the DNA of a Hall of Famer. Sanders hasn't taken a real NFL snap yet, but he's already being talked about like the chosen one.
Coaches are watching. And whispers around camp suggest that he may already have his eyes set on that starting job-even if it's technically still Watson's to lose. There's a buzz, and it's growing louder each practice.
Snake number two comes wearing a much more experienced skin: the veteran quarterback that the Browns are likely to sign in free agency. Names like Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins, Joe Flacco, and even Aaron Rodgers have floated around-each one a proven leader who could instantly challenge Watson's role or serve as the backup plan if his comeback falters.
And the third snake, the one that's been coiled around him for months-is his own body. Two Achilles injuries in less than a year. Two surgeries. Twenty-one games missed. Watson's recovery has been grueling, and while he says all the right things about mental strength and patience, the truth is, no one knows if he'll ever return to the QB he once was.
Not even him. His comeback is full of question marks, and the Browns, while ive on the surface, have already restructured his contract to ease future salary cap tension-just in case.
Deshaun Watson isn't done, not yet. But his path forward looks nothing like the clear, red carpet the team once laid out for him. Instead, it's a shadowy trail filled with slithering competition, doubts, and a growing urgency from the franchise to move forward-whether he's leading the charge or left behind.