Todd Monken: Deshaun Watson not ruled out yet, but Shedeur Sanders preparing to start

Browns head coach Todd Monken revealed that quarterback Deshaun Watson is not officially ruled out for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints, but the team is preparing their rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders to take over if necessary. Watson self-reported concussion symptoms on Tuesday, which led to him being placed in the concussion protocol.

The coach acknowledged that it might be more challenging for a quarterback to play after missing practice due to a concussion but emphasized that they will follow the proper protocol and see how the situation unfolds. Monken stated that Watson can still participate in team meetings to remain prepared if he is cleared to play. The Browns have been game-planning with the assumption that Sanders will start, but Monken noted that the game plan won't change dramatically based on whether it's Sanders or Watson behind center, as the rest of the team remains consistent.

Watson has been the team's starter for eight games this season, completing 65.5% of his passes for 1,806 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. He has been sacked a league-high 33 times and has played in the most games in a year since joining the Browns in 2022. Sanders, on the other hand, has completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in eight games, including seven starts.