Key facts
- Both Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson will each start one Browns preseason game, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.
- Browns preseason games: at Chicago Aug. 15, home vs. Buffalo Aug. 22, home vs. New England Aug. 27.
- Whoever leads the QB competition is expected to start the Aug. 27 finale against the Patriots.
- Deshaun Watson has played in only 19 games for Cleveland since 2022 and hasn’t played since October 2024 due to two Achilles tears.
- Shedeur Sanders made the Pro Bowl as a rookie despite starting only seven games, completing 56.6% of passes for 1,400 yards, 7 TDs and 10 INTs.
- Coach Todd Monken had hoped to name a starter during the offseason program but the competition continued into training camp.
Monken sets plan for two starters
Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken has laid out how he will handle the team’s ongoing quarterback competition through the preseason. According to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, as reported by NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk, Monken will start both Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson in separate preseason games rather than naming a single starter right away.
Monken had originally wanted to settle on a starting quarterback back during the offseason program, but that did not happen, and the competition carried over into training camp. He has now confirmed that each quarterback will get a preseason start, with the coming week set to determine who starts which game.
The preseason schedule
The Browns play at Chicago on Aug. 15 and host Buffalo on Aug. 22. One of the two quarterbacks will start each of those games, based on how the next week of practice plays out. Whichever quarterback appears to be ahead in the competition is expected to start the final preseason game, against New England on Aug. 27.
Watson’s injury history and availability
Deshaun Watson has appeared in only 19 games for Cleveland since joining the team in 2022. He has not played in a game since October 2024, having torn his Achilles tendon twice since that time.
Sanders’ rookie-year numbers
Shedeur Sanders made the Pro Bowl as a rookie last season despite starting just seven games. In that limited action, he completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards, with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
What comes next
With no starter named yet, the next week of practice and preparation will determine the specific order of starts for the Aug. 15 game at Chicago and the Aug. 22 home game against Buffalo, with the leader of the competition likely to close out the preseason as the starter on Aug. 27 versus the Patriots.
Sources
Featured photo: Erik Drost via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)