Browns name Watson starting QB for preseason opener vs. Chicago
The Cleveland Browns have named Deshaun Watson as the starting quarterback for Saturday's preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, with Shedeur Sanders to start the second preseason game against Buffalo on August 22. Watson will play his first game since tearing his right Achilles tendon in October 2024.
The Cleveland Browns have named Deshaun Watson as the starting quarterback for their preseason opener against the Chicago Bears on Saturday, according to ESPN. Shedeur Sanders will start the Browns' second preseason game at home against the Buffalo Bills on August 22, per ESPN.
Browns coach Todd Monken informed the quarterbacks of his decision after practice Wednesday, according to ESPN. Watson and Sanders have been alternating first-team practice reps in Cleveland's quarterback competition.
Saturday's preseason exhibition will mark Watson's first game since he tore his right Achilles tendon in October 2024, according to ESPN. Watson sat out the entire 2025 season after undergoing a second Achilles surgery in January 2025.
Monken said before Wednesday's practice that he hoped to play whomever starts at quarterback for one half, with the quarterback who does not start in the preseason opener then playing in the third quarter, per ESPN. This structure allows both signal-callers extended evaluation time before a third preseason game determines the regular-season starter.
Watson has played in only 19 games because of suspension and injuries since being traded to the Browns in March 2022, according to ESPN. The quarterback characterized the preseason as a "great opportunity" for him to build game reps. His 33.1 Total QBR would rank last among qualifying quarterbacks if he had enough starts to qualify, per ESPN, raising questions about on-field efficiency in his limited opportunities.
Sanders, the 144th pick in the 2025 NFL draft, started the final seven games of his rookie season, according to ESPN. He went 3-4 as a starter in 2025, throwing seven touchdowns to 10 interceptions while also running for a touchdown, per ESPN. Sanders recorded an 18.9 QBR as a rookie, the fifth-lowest mark among 696 quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts in the QBR era dating to 2006, according to ESPN. However, coaches have praised Sanders' pre-snap and post-snap development dating to the offseason workout program, per ESPN.
Watson starts his first game since October 2024 after undergoing a second Achilles surgery in January 2025, marking his return after missing the entire 2025 season.
Watson's return to action is the headline; his ability to execute extended drives in live conditions will be the substance behind it. Sanders faces the burden of proving he can build on a disappointing rookie year, while Monken's eventual third-game decision will crystallize which quarterback the Browns believe can stabilize an offense that has lacked continuity for years.
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