The Browns’ first preseason game brings an early test of how much the starters will actually see, and the answer looks like it depends on who you’re talking about.
Cleveland opens Saturday against the Chicago Bears, and with only three preseason games on the schedule, teams are already making different choices about how to handle regulars. Some clubs lean hard into caution. Others use the reps to sort out competition and give likely starters a longer runway.
Fans weighed in this week on the Browns’ offensive starters, and the split wasn’t especially close. In the Reacts poll, 46% wanted them to play the first quarter, 40% picked the first half, and 14% said they should stay in through the second half.
Todd Monken’s messaging this week pointed in a couple of directions, but the basic idea was clear: he wants the starters on the field, though not at the expense of anyone’s health. On Monday, he said:
“I’d like to get our starters out there for the first series together. I would like that to happen.
That’s all pending, medical, where guys are at because we’re not going to put anybody at risk, so that’s also subject to change. I would like our starters to take the field together for the first time, and then we’ll see.
If we’re going to evaluate the quarterbacks, we’ve got to make sure we can protect them, we’ve got to play the guys up front. We want to evaluate the quarterbacks as best as we can, irrespective of who else is in the game, we’ve got to evaluate the quarterbacks on how they’re able to function and score points.”
By Wednesday, Monken was more specific about the quarterbacks, saying he wanted each to get about a half. Deshaun Watson is set to play the first half against the Bears, while Shedeur Sanders will open the third quarter.
“One’s going to start this week and one’s going to start next week, and we’re going to play them about a half each. I’d like to see a quarterback play a half and get a two-minute, we’re going to do everything we can to get a two-minute and for the half, and we’re going to try to do the exact same thing the next week.”
In Other News...
Deshaun Watson Just Reignited The Browns Problem Fans Wanted Gone
The Browns are using their preseason opener against the Bears to give Deshaun Watson another turn as the starting quarterback, a reminder that his path back is still part of the conversation in Cleveland. Watson has not played since October 2024 because of Achilles injuries, and the teams depth-chart decisions continue to carry extra weight with the season approaching and uncertainty still hanging over the most important position on the roster.
Clevelands salary-cap limitations make it difficult to bring in meaningful competition or simply move on from him, which leaves the club managing both the football and financial sides of the situation at the same time. The Browns are planning to designate Watson as a post-June 1 release in March 2027, a move that would bring dead-cap hits but finally close the book on the contract obligations that have shaped so much of the roster conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Linebacker Battle Just Opened A Surprising Starting Opportunity
The Browns first unofficial depth chart of the 2026 season offered an early glimpse at how the linebacker room is shaking out, and Easton Mascarenas-Arnold emerged as one of the more interesting names on it. The undrafted free agent from USC has worked his way into a role with the base 4-3 defense, positioning himself ahead of Nathaniel Watson, Winston Reid and rookie Justin Jefferson in a group that is still sorting itself out.
Mascarenas-Arnolds climb has also come at a time when Carson Schwesinger is sidelined with a minor injury, opening the door for more reps and a longer look in camp. Even if the depth chart is unofficial, the placement suggests the Browns view him as a legitimate piece of the roster puzzle, and he is now widely expected to make the 53-man roster. [Read more 🡒]
Deshaun Watson Just Put More Pressure On The Browns Quarterback Plan
Deshaun Watson got an extended look in the preseason opener against the Bears, and on paper the first half checked plenty of boxes. He completed more than 70 percent of his passes for 129 yards and a touchdown, the kind of line that can quiet some of the noise around Clevelands quarterback situation, even in August.
But the play-by-play did not look nearly as clean as the stat sheet. Watson appeared uneasy in the pocket and took a strip-sack, while his mobility never really showed up the way it usually can, which keeps the focus on how sharp and stable he can be once the games start counting. Shedeur Sanders also added another layer to the discussion with a mixed outing that included an interception, and the Browns now have more than one quarterback performance to weigh as the competition gets closer to the point where it has to mean something. [Read more 🡒]