Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson NFL Preseason Starting QB Plan Revealed by Browns

The Cleveland Browns have decided on their starting quarterback.

Well, for the first two preseason games.

Cleveland announced Wednesday that Deshaun Watson will start Saturday's preseason opener against the Chicago Bears before Shedeur Sanders assumes the starting duties for the second preseason game on Aug. 22 against the Buffalo Bills.

It would be easy to read into this as Watson having the edge in the quarterback race since he will be taking the field first.

However, head coach Todd Monken told reporters the competition remains ongoing.

"I have my reasons for how it's going to go, and it's still a competition," Monken said. "We're excited to watch guys practice today, let alone on Saturday, and then next week against Buffalo, and we'll get a chance to see them both. Every week we'll assess it. It'll be a little bit more difficult with the player that doesn't play as much this week or the other quarterbacks, right? We'll be able to assess the quarterback that started and how he played and when the other quarterbacks came in and then the opposite will be next week against Buffalo."

The two quarterbacks have been alternating reps with the first team during training camp, so this is a continuation of that practice over the course of two different games. By starting each of them in different contests, it will be something of an even playing field as they each get game action with the starting lineup.

Whichever quarterback ends up winning the job will need to take strides if the Browns are going to contend in the AFC North.

Watson has been nothing but a disappointment in Cleveland. While he was a three-time Pro Bowler who led the league in passing yards in 2020 when he was with the Houston Texans, he has been limited to 19 games with the Browns because of a combination of injuries and suspension.

He is just 9-10 in those 19 starts with 19 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions, which is nowhere near as effective as he was with the Texans.

As for Sanders, he fell to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft and started seven games as a rookie. He was just 3-4 in those starts with seven touchdown passes, 10 interceptions and an ugly 18.9 QBR.

Neither has been inspiring during their time with the Browns, but they will each have a chance to build some individual momentum with preseason starts.