Cleveland's quarterback competition has been the story of Browns training camp all summer, and now it has a shape. Adam Schefter reported that Monken told his QBs in a Wednesday afternoon meeting that Watson will start the preseason opener Saturday against the Bears in Chicago, with Sanders getting the start the following week at home against the Bills.
Browns HC Todd Monken informed the QBs this afternoon in meetings that Deshaun Watson will start the first preseason game in Chicago against the Bears this Saturday, and he plans to start Shedeur Sanders in the second preseason game at home next Saturday against the Bills.
It's a notable moment for Watson, who's spent the better part of two years defined by injury more than football. He tore his right Achilles in October 2024, then tore it again during rehab, requiring a second surgery in January 2025. He was never activated off PUP last season, and Cleveland shut him down for the year to set up a real 2026 return. He's still owed $46 million guaranteed, and getting him back on the field in a live preseason snap is the first real checkpoint in that comeback.
Sanders, meanwhile, is trying to answer a very different question. The Browns took him in the 5th round of the 2025 draft at No. 144 overall, a shocking fall for a quarterback many had pegged as a first-rounder before the pre-draft process. He's been fighting for reps in a QB room that also includes Dillon Gabriel, and a Week 2 preseason start against the Bills is a real chance to show why Cleveland traded up to get him in the first place.
Shedeur will start Week 2.
The staggered plan reads like Monken trying to get a real look at everyone without cramming it all into one exhibition. Watson needs game reps after nearly two years away from live snaps behind an NFL pass rush. Sanders needs an extended runway to prove he belongs in the conversation. Splitting the two openers across separate weeks means each guy gets a real evaluation instead of split reps in a single half.
None of this settles the Browns' starting job for Week 1 of the regular season — that's still very much open, per multiple reports out of Cleveland this offseason. But it does confirm the pecking order for how Monken wants to build toward that decision, starting with his $46 million veteran and working down to his developmental rookie. Expect both performances to get dissected heavily, especially with Sanders' every college and pro rep already living under a magnifying glass.