Deshaun Watson’s status has already moved the betting market for Cleveland’s Week 9 trip to New Orleans.
The Browns quarterback was placed in concussion protocol after starting to feel symptoms on Monday night and reporting them to the team on Tuesday. Watson had taken a heavy hit in the first quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he was initially cleared to return to that game.
With Watson now in protocol, Cleveland has shifted to a 3-point underdog against the Saints on the road. The Browns opened at +2.5, so the line movement suggests oddsmakers either believe Watson still has a chance to be available Sunday or see little separation between him and backup Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders briefly played in Week 8 against Pittsburgh, and he started several games as a rookie in the 2025 season.
Cleveland enters Week 9 at 5-3, with Watson helping keep the team in the AFC playoff picture by engineering five fourth-quarter comebacks. Even after the loss to Pittsburgh, the Browns’ postseason outlook got a boost with Lamar Jackson sidelined for the Baltimore Ravens.
New Orleans comes in at 2-5 and is back from its bye, trying to stay alive in the NFC South race. The Saints are 0-4 straight up at home, which is part of why Cleveland could still be worth a look against the spread even if Watson can’t go.
Through the 2026 season, Watson has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,806 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also rushed 51 times for 217 yards and one score. He hasn’t matched the form he showed with the Houston Texans, but he has still been Cleveland’s best quarterback option this season.
For now, Watson should be considered highly questionable for Sunday, and he would need to clear concussion protocol to have any shot at playing.
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For the Guardians, the move adds another layer of turnover to a pitching group that has leaned on continuity in recent seasons. There is no replacement announced yet, leaving one more opening for the club to sort out as it looks to keep its staff intact heading into the next phase of the offseason. [Read more 🡒]