Shedeur Sanders didn’t just get his first start of 2026 on Sunday. He forced the Browns to stare straight at their quarterback problem all over again.
Cleveland dropped a wild 23-22 road game to the New Orleans Saints, but Sanders gave the Browns plenty to think about in the process. The rookie wasn’t flawless, and the first half was rough enough to leave him with only 25 passing yards at halftime. Still, by the end of the afternoon, he had made the offense look cleaner, brought more playmakers into the mix, and steadily found his rhythm as the game wore on.
That matters because the Browns had already gone with Deshaun Watson earlier in the season, and the logic behind that move was easy enough to follow. Monken turned to Watson because Sanders probably wasn’t far enough along in his development, and it's hard to argue against that logic after Watson won five of his first eight games.
But Sunday’s loss didn’t settle the debate. If anything, it reopened it.
Sanders finished 19 of 31 for 297 yards, two touchdowns, and a 114.6 quarterback rating. He added 28 rushing yards and took five sacks, which is hardly ideal.
Even so, his impact showed up most clearly once the game tightened up. From the third quarter on, he kept finding answers, and in the fourth quarter and overtime alone he threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns.
That late surge is why Watson no longer looks like he has a clear advantage in the moments that matter most. Sanders came through with confidence, and he never seemed rattled, even when he absorbed a big hit from Chase Young on the final drive of regulation.
The numbers tell part of the story, but not all of it. Sanders looked more composed than expected in his first start of 2026.
He got the ball out quicker, avoided forcing plays that weren’t there, and didn’t live and die with the deep shot. The Browns’ running game still didn’t get much help, but the offensive line had an easier time settling into protection because Sanders didn’t keep taking deep dropbacks the way Watson did.
He also gave Cleveland something it hasn’t had enough of this season: a downfield threat. Sanders connected on two 60-plus-yard plays, which is two more than the Browns have had all year with Watson.
And while Watson has already delivered five game-winning drives this season, Sanders came within a failed two-point conversion of doing the same on Sunday.
He’s not finished product, but he doesn’t have to be to make this decision tougher. Sanders is a young quarterback with upside, he’s still under contract for two more years, and the receivers appear to trust both his leadership and his presence in the huddle.
In Other News...
Browns Chaos Took Another Strange Turn In A Brutal Loss
The Browns latest week of chaos had an odd pregame twist before the loss to the Saints, when head coach Todd Monken was recorded laughing about quarterback Shedeur Sanders asking for plays that were not in the teams playbook. It was the kind of detail that fit the strange, uneasy feel around Cleveland right now, where even the buildup to a close game seemed to carry its own subplot.
Sanders then helped fuel the afternoons biggest swing anyway, uncorking a 64-yard touchdown to rookie wide receiver KC Concepion in the fourth quarter to briefly put Cleveland in front. But the Browns could not finish the job, and after choosing to go for two instead of settling for a tie, they wound up losing in overtime in a game that only deepened the sense that nothing around this team comes easily. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Have A QB Decision Fans May Not Like
Deshaun Watsons concussion protocol absence in Week 9 opened the door for Shedeur Sanders, and the rookie made the most of it with a strong start in his first extended look. For a Browns team trying to steady itself, the timing was notable: the offense looked different with Sanders at the controls, and the performance gave the coaching staff something it did not necessarily expect to have to consider this late in the season.
Now Cleveland has a quarterback choice that could shape the next stretch of the year. Watson has put up strong numbers this season and remains the teams highest-paid player, which makes a return to the lineup the most likely outcome once he is healthy. Still, Sanders showing created a real argument for keeping the hot hand, and that tension is exactly what makes this situation worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Defense Has One Early Problem Holding Back A Playoff Run
The Browns have otherwise looked like a defense built to carry a playoff push, but the opening quarter has been a stubborn problem. Cleveland has been at its worst early, allowing more points, yards and yards per play in the first quarter than in any other stretch, even as the unit settles in and performs much better once the game moves on.
Mike Rutenbergs game plans have come under the microscope because the issues appear to be tied to how the defense starts, not how it finishes. That matters for a team with postseason expectations, because the Browns can afford a lot less margin for error if the early script keeps putting them behind before the defense finds its rhythm. [Read more 🡒]