Virtually no one saw the Cleveland Browns sitting atop the AFC North six weeks into the season. But with two victories in the division to their name, that is exactly where they stand with a record of 4-2.

After a lot of criticism of the decision, some of their success has come directly due to Deshaun Watson. Moreover, ESPN Cleveland’s Aaron Goldhammer believes their other option, Shedeur Sanders, could have made things much worse, potentially even leaving Cleveland 0-6.

ESPN Cleveland Host Explains the Gap Between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson

Retrospect can be a wild development. When new head coach Todd Monken gave the starting job to Watson, the move was widely criticized. Given his previous struggles with the Browns and his recent public tension with the fan base, the decision felt bizarre.

However, six games later, as he’s led game-winning drives in each of their victories, the perception has taken almost a complete U-turn. Now,Aaron Goldhammer of ESPN Cleveland has a stunning idea of how things would have looked under Sanders.

“They might be 0-6 with Sanders,” Goldhammer claimed. “Deshaun is playing better than people wanna give him credit for.”

To his credit, Watson has thrown just 2 interceptions on the season. And he’s ranked at number 25 onPFN’s NFL Quarterback Impact metrics. By comparison, Sanders had 10 interceptions in just seven starts last season and was ranked second-to-last on QBi.

But Watson hasn’t been a revelation in his role. He’s averaging less than 200 passing yards per game, and the Browns have kept themselves in the game thanks to a combination of dominance on special teams and the defensive side of the ball.

He has done his part, especially at the end of games, but he hasn’t been the sole reason for their success in the record books. For the Browns, though, it opens up an interesting conundrum as they get deeper into the year.

Going into the year, Monken said the Browns planned to conduct a fair and open competition among their quarterback options. Sanders, as one of their promising talents, would play a big part in that assessment.

Their evaluation of Watson and Sanders could also shape Cleveland’s approach to the 2027 NFL Draft. But with the success the team has had under Watson, they could legitimately be in the playoff race.

A playoff push would push Cleveland’s own first-round pick later, although the Browns also own the Rams’ 2027 first-rounder, which currently projects at No. 14.