Shedeur Sanders will start for the Cleveland Browns against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, but Deshaun Watson could still be in uniform behind him.
Watson returned to practice Friday but has not cleared concussion protocol and is listed as questionable. While head coach Todd Monken committed to Sanders as his starter, he left open the possibility of Watson serving as the backup if cleared.
“Haven’t decided that yet,” Monken said of Watson being the primary backup. “We’re still, you know, working through that, working through his ability to clear it.”
That leaves Cleveland with one quarterback decision still to make heading into the weekend.
Watson missed practice Wednesday and Thursday after reporting concussion symptoms earlier in the week. He took a helmet-to-helmet hit during Cleveland’s 27-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, was evaluated and returned to finish the game. His symptoms developed Monday night.
“He’s still not able to do any team reps. He can do individual, he can do some routes, been in meetings, but you’re not able to do any of the team reps, which makes it difficult,” Monken said.
If Watson cannot suit up, the Browns have alternatives. Cleveland carries four quarterbacks on its 53-man roster, with Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green joining Watson and Sanders.
Gabriel has occupied the No. 3 spot since returning from injured reserve and would likely back up Sanders if Watson is unavailable.
Browns Explained Challenge Facing Deshaun Watson
Monken explained earlier in the week why clearing concussion protocol would not automatically make Watson ready to run the offense Sunday.
The Browns had recently navigated a similar situation with right tackle Tytus Howard, who returned against Pittsburgh after missing practice during the week. But Monken pointed to the additional preparation required at quarterback, particularly the mental demands and timing with receivers.
“If you’re not able to take the team reps and the throwing reps, how do you get the timing with your receivers?” Monken said during Wednesday.
Monken stopped short of ruling out playing Watson with limited preparation, acknowledging that circumstances could change as the week progressed.
Meanwhile, Cleveland prepared Sanders to take over, giving him the first-team work and planning additional meetings and walkthroughs. That preparation positioned Sanders to make his first start of the season even with Watson returning to the practice field Friday.
“I liked his confidence, like the way he operated, looked very comfortable in terms of getting our guys in-and-out of the huddle, getting to the line of scrimmage was going to be half the battle this week, obviously, going there,” Monken said. “I thought he threw the ball, you know, extremely well. So again, I do think, as I said before, I do think there are positives to the amount of reps he got during the fall. I think obviously there was a two-month gap there, but I think there was enough there in terms of our system, how we do things.”
Shedeur Sanders Ready to Show His Progress
Sanders has seen only brief action this season, completing all three of his pass attempts for just 2 yards. He threw once against the Carolina Panthers and twice against the Pittsburgh Steelers, stepping in both times when Watson briefly left the field.
Sunday will mark his first extended opportunity to run Monken’s offense in a regular-season game.
“Last year, I was able to see what I needed to see, feel different things during the games and understand what I need to get better at,” Sanders said Wednesday. “So, then going into this offseason, we worked on that, and training camp, of course, in this offseason, and overall, I’m just excited for the opportunity.”
Sanders will have a hungry Saints defense after him. The second-year quarterback had a questionable answer when asked about the unit.
“Yeah, I’ve seen a lot. When I smile, just know that means something. I’m maturing. I’m maturing,” Sanders said. “I could have given a decent answer, but now I’m just going to smile whenever it’s just, like, some questions.”
Sanders started Cleveland’s final seven games as a rookie in 2025, leading the Browns to a 3-4 record. He finished the season with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 56.6% of his passes for a 68.1 passer rating.
Browns Leave Door Open for Deshaun Watson to Suit Up vs. Saints