The Cleveland Browns are set to use their initial two preseason games to evaluate their quarterback options, naming Deshaun Watson as the starter for the upcoming Saturday matchup against the Chicago Bears. He will be followed by Shedeur Sanders, who is slated to start in the second preseason game versus the Buffalo Bills.
Watson's start marks his return to game action after nearly two years sidelined by an Achilles tear sustained in Week 7 of the 2024 season. He underwent surgery in January 2025 for a re-injury of the same Achilles and did not play during the 2025 season. His prolonged absence created an opportunity for Sanders, who stepped in as the starter for seven games after veteran Joe Flacco was traded to the Bengals and Dillon Gabriel suffered an injury. During his rookie season, Sanders completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards, with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Quarterback Competition Heats Up
Todd Monken, in his first year as head coach after the firing of Kevin Stefanski, faces a significant decision regarding his starting quarterback. As of June, Monken had indicated he was not ready to name a definitive QB1, with both Watson and Sanders sharing first-team repetitions in practice. However, on Saturday, Watson received all the top reps, a day when Sanders was expected to take them.
Sanders addressed the situation on Wednesday, stating that all players were informed of the practice rotation and expressed his disapproval of public criticism directed at Monken. "Sometimes, if things happen, y’all just jump on the coach, man, like he just tripping or something, you know?" Sanders said. "I don’t really like that because it creates just extra, and I hope we all here to wanna win, you know, and be a team and be a franchise. So, it’s kinda like, we gotta slow down, you know, if that’s what we want."
Monken himself experienced a tense exchange with the media on Monday when a reporter sought clarification on his earlier remarks about the quarterbacks' competition. When asked if he was suggesting Watson had improved or was better than Sanders, Monken responded, "Oh, I don’t think I threw in there that he’s better than Shedeur. I’m not sure I went that far but I appreciate you trying to trap me in that s–t."
The upcoming preseason games will provide both quarterbacks with a platform to demonstrate their capabilities on the field.