The Cleveland Browns have finally put some shape around their quarterback plan, at least for the first two preseason games. After months of questions and constant back-and-forth, head coach Todd Monken has made his call: Deshaun Watson gets the first shot, and Shedeur Sanders is right behind him.
Watson will open Saturday’s preseason game against the Chicago Bears and play the first half before Sanders takes over in the third quarter. Next week against the Buffalo Bills, the roles will flip, with Sanders getting the start and Watson following him.
That lines up with what Monken had been saying all along, that both quarterbacks would get at least one preseason start. So this does not lock Watson into the job just yet. Still, the picture is starting to sharpen, and the signs continue to point his way.
Monken said he made the decision early Wednesday, then planned to tell the players after practice before going public with it. The announcement also came on one of the offense’s cleaner days of training camp, when both quarterbacks led scoring drives.
The Browns said Watson will start against the Bears while Sanders starts next week’s game, and Monken also noted that all starters without injury designations or medical issues should see action. He stressed that pass protection will matter in deciding how long the quarterbacks stay on the field, and he wants to see them handle a two-minute situation as well.
“We’re gonna see both of them. One is gonna start this week and one will start next week. They will play about a half and I’d like to see them get a two-minute (situation), ” the coach said (h/t Zac Jackson).
Watson’s camp has had its rough patches. He opened slowly, then settled in during the second week and looked more comfortable once the reps started piling up. That showed up in a huge practice line: 17-for-20 with seven touchdowns and no interceptions.
Even so, the turnover issue hangs over him. The former Houston Texans quarterback threw nine interceptions in the first 12 days of camp, and that kind of sloppiness could change the conversation fast.
Sanders, meanwhile, has drawn praise for the progress he’s made with his footwork and for knowing when to get rid of the ball instead of taking negative plays. He’s protected the ball well, though there have also been multiple plays where he escaped sacks he probably should have taken, and he still needs to speed up his release. His cadence remains another area to clean up.
The competition may not be finished, but it is leaning a certain way. For now, Watson looks like the man in front, with Sanders working to close the gap. After these first two preseason games, the Browns should have a much better read on where things really stand.
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