Browns to start Sanders at QB vs. Saints with Watson in protocol

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  Daniel OyefusiNov 6, 2026, 01:29 PM ET

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  Daniel Oyefusi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN. Prior to ESPN, he covered the Miami Dolphins for the Miami Herald, as well as the Baltimore Ravens for The Baltimore Sun.

BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns will start Shedeur Sanders at quarterback for Sunday's road game against the New Orleans Saints, head coach Todd Monken said Friday, as Deshaun Watson remains in the concussion protocol.

Watson is listed as questionable. Monken has not yet decided if Watson will be the backup, as he has not yet been cleared.

Sanders took all the starting reps in practice this week after Watson self-reported concussion symptoms Tuesday morning and was placed in the protocol.

It will be the first start of the season for Sanders, a 2025 fifth-round pick. As a rookie, Sanders made seven starts, completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He went 3-4 in those starts.

"Last year, I was able to see what I needed to see, feel different things during the games and understand what I need to get better at," Sanders said Wednesday. "So, then going into this offseason, we worked on that, and training camp, of course, in this offseason, and overall, I'm just excited for the opportunity."

Sanders has attempted just three passes this season in spot appearances during two games and has received limited practice reps in the regular season, but he split reps with the No. 1 offense during Cleveland's quarterback competition in training camp.

"He's going to get all the walk-through reps, all the team reps," Monken said Wednesday. "We've had our Hungry Dawgs group that gets reps after practice, some of the young guys. That's a limited amount. He's been in all the meetings previously. He's seen all the game films. But we're going to have to get some extra walks in, some extra meetings in with him as we proceed. But he's been working diligently each week, with the expectation there's a chance he could play, which was true in any given game. He was going to have to prepare. Just like what happened last game [against the Pittsburgh Steelers] when he went in the game."

Dillon Gabriel, who returned from injured reserve last week and was the emergency QB in Week 8, could back up Sanders on Sunday. Rookie Taylen Green, a sixth-round pick who served as the emergency QB for the first seven games, will return to that role with Watson sidelined.