Deshaun Watson is on track to be back for Week 10, but the Browns still haven’t locked in who will actually take the first snap against the Houston Texans.
According to ESPN Insider Jeremy Fowler, Watson is expected to be ready to return next week. That does not automatically mean Cleveland is handing him the job back right away, though, and the Browns are leaving the door open after what they saw from Shedeur Sanders on Sunday.
Sanders made his first start of the season in place of Watson, who suffered a concussion in the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland came up just short in a 23-22 overtime defeat to the New Orleans Saints, a game in which the offense never really found its footing. The run game never got going, and Sanders spent much of the afternoon under pressure as the offensive line was beaten repeatedly.
Even with the chaos around him, Sanders finished with 297 passing yards and 2 touchdowns.
After the game, Browns head coach Todd Monken praised what he saw from the quarterback’s first start of the year:
“I liked his confidence, like the way he operated; he looked very comfortable in terms of getting our guys in-and-out of the huddle, getting to the line of scrimmage was going to be half the battle this week, obviously, going there. And I thought he threw the ball, you know, extremely well...
I do think there are positives to the amount of reps he got during the fall. I think obviously there was a two-month gap there, but I think there was enough there in terms of our system, how we do things.
"He’s been on every trip; he’s been on the headset during games. He hears every call that we make. So, if a player is diligent like he’s been, then you expect there to be some carryover.”
Sanders also addressed the possibility of earning another start, and he made it clear he’s not trying to force the issue:
"... I control what I control, but what I think, in the grand scheme of things, don’t really matter.
I think being a great teammate, being a great whatever role I have on the team, I could do. Because you got to look at the bigger picture.
We’re out here connecting with each other, growing, learning in different areas.
"So if I’m playing, then, yes, I’m growing in this area. If I’m not playing, then I’m growing in this area. So, in every area you’re growing, so you can’t really ever look at the situation as negative.”
The former 5th-round pick seems ready to take whatever comes next, even with Watson potentially back in the mix. Cleveland is expected to make an official call in the coming days.
In Other News...
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Landon Dickerson of the Eagles has emerged as one name worth watching if Cleveland decides to swing big for help up front, and the Browns do have draft capital to work with, including multiple picks in 2027. There is also growing speculation about whether the club could use players such as Shedeur Sanders, Jared Verse or Jerry Jeudy as part of the equation to address other needs, which only adds to the intrigue around how aggressive Cleveland wants to be. The deadline will show whether the Browns are content to ride out the pressure or willing to make a move that could change the shape of the offense. [Read more 🡒]
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Rookie wideouts Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion continued to build their case as two of the leagues most productive first-year receivers, while Harold Fannin Jr. also delivered a meaningful day in the passing game. The production from that trio offered a glimpse of what Clevelands offense could become, but it also left the Browns with the familiar frustration of having enough flashes to matter and not enough to finish the job. [Read more 🡒]