Shedeur Sanders will get his first preseason start against the Buffalo Bills, but Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken may not need much time afterward to name his quarterback.
“I do not anticipate the quarterback decision going past early of next week,” Monken said during the Browns pregame show on 92.3 The Fan.
Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reported on the pregame show that “a decision could come as early as Monday. This is the last chance for Shedeur to show what he can do.”
The accelerated timeline is not ideal for Sanders. Saturday’s start against Buffalo represents his best opportunity to make his case. Monken is looking forward to seeing Sanders in the situation.
“It’ll be fun to watch him take the field as the starter. Little bit easier than what happened last week where you come out at halftime,” Monken said. “I’m excited to see him and see us come right out of the block. I want to see him operate at a high level. how he operates, get rid of the football, save us from catastrophic plays which he has gotten so much better at.”
But Monken’s comments indicate the Browns have already assembled most of the information needed to choose between Sanders and Deshaun Watson.
Browns QB Competition Has Tilted Toward Deshaun Watson
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 15: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on before the preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on August 15, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
Monken has maintained that both QBs are competing for the job, but the distribution of snaps and other subtle hints indicate the team is leaning towards Watson. That includes the fact that Sanders’ first start will come without many of the other first-teamers around him.
Monken indicated that most of the established starters would sit after receiving significant work against Buffalo during the joint session. That leaves Sanders trying to strengthen his case alongside a younger and less experienced supporting cast. Sanders has downplayed the significance of the start.
“Every day of my life’s important,” Sanders said. “So that’s just another day going out there doing what I got to do, honestly. I don’t really feel anxiety or any pressure going into things like that anymore because that’s how I approach everything. So it’s just another day of going to work. That’s all it is for me.”
Deshaun Watson Made Strong Impression on Todd Monken
Watson gave Monken plenty to consider in Cleveland’s preseason opener against the Chicago Bears. Playing in a game for the first time since rupturing his Achilles in October 2024, Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards. He led two scoring drives as Cleveland built a 10-0 lead before losing 34-10.
Watson lost a fumble on a fourth-down sack, and the offense had issues with timeouts and the play clock. But Monken came away encouraged by how Watson handled his return.
“What I wanted to see was how comfortable he was leading up to the game, how comfortable he was in the huddle,” Monken said. “Certainly there were things from an operational standpoint we can do better, but I wanted to see if he was enjoying himself. Was this still fun for him to play through the ups and the downs? Sure, he’s not happy about certain throws that he could have made, a couple of them that would have extended drills. Sure, he’s thrilled about a quarterback sneak that we threw on him there to get a first down. But it was fun watching him play. It was fun.”
Monken was also impressed by the work Watson put into his return after nearly two years away.
“Oh, it was awesome,” Monken said. “It was so cool to watch him play. I get all of the frustration by fans, himself. But for him to come back and work like he did is an unbelievable credit to him. And then to go out there, he was having fun today, and that is so cool. And I thought he really functioned at a high level. Certainly we don’t want to be taking timeouts. We sure as heck can’t take delay of games. But it was fun watching him play and watching us put the next step forward and see where we’re at.”
The Browns open the regular season on September 13 on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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