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Browns name Deshaun Watson starter over Shedeur Sanders

8/14/2026

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Summary

Watson Starts Preseason

The Cleveland Browns announced Deshaun Watson will start the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears and Shedeur Sanders will start the second game against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 22.
Head coach Todd Monken said Watson will play the first half and Sanders the third quarter, with the order reversed in Buffalo.
Watson makes his first start since an October 2024 Achilles tear and a January 2025 second surgery.

Summary

Watson Starts

Cleveland fans are angry that veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson will start the preseason opener over second-year pro Shedeur Sanders.
Owner Jimmy Haslam called the Watson trade “a big swing and a miss” for the franchise.
Fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders, who started seven rookie games, threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, ten interceptions and earned a Pro Bowl nod after other quarterbacks withdrew.

History

Historical Context

After Art Modell moved the original Browns to Baltimore in 1995, the NFL reactivated the franchise in 1999 under new owner Al Lerner, granting the team the number-one overall pick used on quarterback Tim Couch. The Browns finished 2-14 that season and have started 42 different quarterbacks since the return, a pattern that still fuels today’s search for a stable signal-caller.

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Watson Starts Preseason

The Cleveland Browns announced Deshaun Watson will start the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears and Shedeur Sanders will start the second game against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 22.
Head coach Todd Monken said Watson will play the first half and Sanders the third quarter, with the order reversed in Buffalo.
Watson makes his first start since an October 2024 Achilles tear and a January 2025 second surgery.

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