Deshaun Watson will get the first chance to make a good impression when the Cleveland Browns open the preseason.
Watson will start Cleveland’s preseason opener against the Chicago Bears on Saturday, the team announced on its official website. Head coach Todd Monken informed the quarterbacks of his decision following Wednesday’s practice.
Shedeur Sanders will start the Browns’ second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on August 22.
“I have my reasons for how it’s going to go, and it’s still a competition,” Monken said. “We’re excited to watch guys practice today, let alone on Saturday, and then next week against Buffalo, and we’ll get a chance to see them both. Every week we’ll assess it.
“It’ll be a little bit more difficult with the player that doesn’t play as much this week or the other quarterbacks, right? We’ll be able to assess the quarterback that started and how he played and when the other quarterbacks came in and then the opposite will be next week against Buffalo.”
The assignment gives Watson the first crack at live game action, but it should not be interpreted as a final decision. Monken has repeatedly said the competition will extend through at least the first two preseason games.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson Hasn’t Played Since 2024
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will start the preseason opener.
Saturday will mark Watson’s first game action since he tore his right Achilles in October 2024. He suffered a setback during his recovery and underwent a second surgery, sidelining him for the entire season. He returned briefly for a practice stint late in the year but has not been active in a game.
Watson has cleared every hurdle this offseason and participated fully throughout training camp. Now, he will have the opportunity to test his recovery against an opposing defense.
“I’m super excited,” Watson said ahead of Wednesday’s practice. “All the hard work that I put in with the training staff, with my team, my personal team, to get to this stage has been tremendous for me. So, I’m super excited for those opportunities and can’t wait for it.”
Watson had an uneven start to camp, throwing several interceptions during the early practices. However, quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian has seen improvement from Watson as he has become more comfortable in Monken’s offense.
“He threw some interceptions early, and he’s done a good job of protecting the football as of late,” Bajakian said. “There was a string of three or four practices — the days run together — where there were zero picks from him. So, he’s done a good job of that. On his good days, he’s been decisive, his anticipation’s been on point, and he’s getting rid of the ball on time without having to move around in the pocket.”
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Focused on Improvement
Rather than dwelling on where he stands in the competition, Sanders has said he is focused on making incremental progress across every part of his game.
“I’d say every area I try to improve. It’s like a chart within myself and saying, ‘Okay, if I’ve got 10 different areas to improve, let’s improve each area every day until it gets to max threshold,’” Sanders said. “Max threshold, that’s going to take some time, a couple of years. But I think I’m improving in every area overall.”
Sanders also struck a grateful tone when asked about handling the uncertainty surrounding the quarterback competition and splitting reps.
“I think that doesn’t even faze me or get to me. I don’t think about that at all,” Sanders said. “I’m just thankful to be able to practice. Sometimes you’ve got to sit back and reflect on why I would feel negative in this situation. Last year was a totally different situation, so I think about things I’m thankful for in life, and not what I really want. If you live in that ‘want’ world, then you can always be searching.”
Sanders went 3-4 across seven starts as a rookie, completing 56.6% of his passes for nearly 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
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