Browns pick Watson over Sanders as Week 1 starter at quarterback

The Cleveland Browns have announced Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback for the team's Week 1 game of the 2026 season. Watson faced competition from Shedeur Sanders for the position, with both players listed as the Browns' first-string quarterback on the preseason depth chart. Watson made his preseason debut in the Browns' 34-10 loss to the Chicago Bears on August 15, while Sanders took the field in the 31-7 defeat to the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.

During the preseason, Watson completed 16 of 27 passes (59.2%) for 162 yards and threw an interception but did not score a touchdown. Sanders, on the other hand, went 15 for 22 (68.1%) for 153 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions. Despite his performance, Sanders has been demoted to the Browns' second-string quarterback.

Watson, 30, enters his final year of a $230 million, five-year contract extension with the Browns, which has undergone several restructuring over the past off-seasons. Watson missed the entirety of the 2025 season due to an Achilles injury, as well as suspensions and other injuries since joining the Browns in 2022.

The Browns are set to host the New England Patriots in their preseason finale on Thursday, September 12, at 8 p.m. EDT in Cleveland. Although Monken, the team's head coach, stated that starters are unlikely to play in this matchup, the game will occur. Following this, the Browns will face the Jacksonville Jaguars in their regular season opener on Sunday, September 13, in Jacksonville, Florida. Coach Todd Monken previously mentioned that Watson and Sanders would be co-starters at quarterback on the preseason depth chart.