The Cleveland Browns are gearing up for their second preseason contest of the year, which will see them square off against the Buffalo Bills. After getting trampled 34-10 by the Chicago Bears in their opener last weekend, the Browns will be looking to put together a better performance against the AFC East powerhouse on Saturday afternoon.
This game will be another key checkpoint in the ongoing quarterback battle between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson. After Watson got the lion’s share of work last week, Sanders will draw the start against Buffalo, and according to reports, it sounds like he will have some of Cleveland’s other offensive starters working alongside him.
Browns Set to Play Several Starters Alongside Shedeur Sanders vs. Bills
Browns consider today a crucial data point in QB battle. Deshaun Watson takes over in third quarter.
After taking over as the team’s new head coach, Todd Monken made it clear that the Browns’ starting quarterback would be determined during training camp and preseason play. While Dillon Gabriel is also in town, this battle has always been between Sanders and Watson, and even with training camp winding down, it’s been tough to get an idea of who is in the lead with Week 1 drawing near.
Sanders remains one of the more polarizing figures in the NFL. After going from being an expected first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to falling to Cleveland in the fifth round, Sanders was inconsistent at best during his limited time on the field last year (120/212, 1,400 YDS, 7 TD, 10 INT). And yet, he showed more than Gabriel did to earn himself a real battle against Watson for the starting job.
In the preseason opener against the Bears, Watson (11/15, 126 YDS) outperformed Sanders (6/11, 79 YDS, 1 INT), but it wasn’t enough for the coaching staff to make any final decisions on this competition. That has set the stage for a very important contest against the Bills, and according to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Sanders will have a couple of the team’s other offensive starters working alongside him after he drew the start over Watson for this contest.
“For Shedeur Sanders’ start today vs. Bills, the Browns will rest some starters but not all,” Fowler reported in a post on X. “LT Spencer Fano and WR Denzel Boston will play, I’m told. Browns consider today a crucial data point in QB battle. Deshaun Watson takes over in third quarter.”
All Eyes on Shedeur Sanders Ahead of Browns’ Second Preseason Game
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
It’s always tough to truly evaluate a quarterback when they aren’t operating alongside the rest of the team’s starters. Sanders won’t get the full benefit of playing with Cleveland’s entire starting offense, but the same was true for Watson last week. Having guys like Denzel Boston and Spencer Fano should help, though, which only adds to the intrigue of this game.
Winning the starting job would be big for either Sanders or Watson, but unless the Week 1 starter dominates and manages to stay healthy all year long, chances are both of these guys will see time on the field in 2026. Sanders wants to ensure that he gets the first crack at making the starting job his own, which will make his performance against Buffalo on Saturday quite important.
Browns Reveal Shedeur Sanders Plan for Preseason Game vs. Bills