The Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback will be Deshaun Watson for Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Shedeur Sanders has been named the backup. Cleveland announced the decision Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, after head coach Todd Monken and his staff reviewed offseason practices, training camp, joint work with the Buffalo Bills, and two preseason games. Watson will start the Sept. 13, 2026, road opener in Jacksonville. The Browns’ official announcement confirmed the selection.
Sanders finished second in the competition and will open the regular season as Cleveland’s No. 2 quarterback; the Browns have not announced a designated package for him. The Associated Press reported that Watson and Sanders will not play in Thursday’s preseason finale against the New England Patriots.
Updated: Aug. 24, 2026, following Cleveland’s quarterback announcement.
Monken called the Browns starting quarterback competition close and said both players “competed their rear ends off.” His strongest explanation was that Watson remained ahead when Cleveland combined every evaluation setting—not that he won the preseason stat battle.
“I took in the full body of work over the course of the offseason, training camp, games and the joint practice,” Monken said. “Ultimately, I felt like, to start the season on the road, Deshaun gave us the best chance to move the ball and score points.”
Watson and Sanders split first-unit reps throughout the offseason, camp, and preseason. The Browns have not published detailed practice grades or an exact first-team snap count. Monken’s full-body-of-work explanation, therefore, is the strongest publicly verified reason for the choice. The Associated Press’ report confirmed the shared first-unit work.
The preseason sample was limited and uneven. Watson started against Chicago and played early with other starters and second-team players; Sanders started against Buffalo and played the first half. The public box score therefore measures production but does not fully capture the practice and personnel context Cleveland cited.
| Quarterback | vs. Bears, Aug. 15 | vs. Bills, Aug. 22 | Preseason total |
| Deshaun Watson | 11-of-15, 126 yards, two scoring drives | 5-of-12, 36 yards, 1 INT | 16-of-27, 162 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT |
| Shedeur Sanders | 6-of-11, 79 yards, 1 INT | 9-of-11, 74 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT | 15-of-22, 153 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT |
Sanders completed 68.2% of his preseason attempts and averaged 7.0 yards per attempt, compared with Watson’s 59.3% and 6.0. PFF also graded Sanders higher as a passer, 72.3 to 59.1. PFF’s preseason comparison provides the grading figures.
Preseason statistics did not decide the competition because the Browns evaluated quarterbacks in settings outside the games, including offseason practices, training camp, and the Bills’ joint practice. That is Monken’s stated basis for the decision—not an inference from the box score.
Sanders is the QB2, but Cleveland has not said it will use him in a designed Week 1 package. Being the backup means he will replace Watson if he cannot continue; it does not mean Sanders is scheduled to rotate series or plays.
The Browns have also not announced conditions under which they would change starters during the season. Monken said the decision was “not a week-to-week decision” and that Cleveland expects Watson to play well. Browns Zone’s report documented that clarification.
Watson has started 19 games for Cleveland since arriving in 2022, posting a 9-10 record with 3,365 passing yards, 19 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions, and an 80.7 passer rating. The Associated Press’ report lists those Browns totals.
Watson’s preseason opener offered the staff a more encouraging data point than his Buffalo outing: He completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards and led two scoring drives. His 5-of-12, 36-yard, one-interception performance in the second half against the Bills came with players fighting for roster places, not a first-unit setting. The Associated Press’ preseason recap provides that context.
Watson and Sanders will sit out Cleveland’s final preseason game against New England. The Browns then have roughly three weeks to prepare for Jacksonville, with Watson taking starter reps and Sanders operating as the backup. Cleveland’s preseason-depth-chart update confirms the quarterback availability plan for Thursday.
The public record is clear: The Browns have named Watson its Week 1 starter and Sanders its backup. The team has not publicly promised Watson the entire season, announced a Sanders package, or specified a midseason quarterback-change standard.
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Watson beat Sanders because Cleveland’s coaching staff believed the veteran had the stronger cumulative case across camp, joint practices, and preseason. They did not choose Watson because his public preseason statistics were better.
Sanders’ preseason production gives the Browns a viable No. 2 quarterback and ensures scrutiny will follow Watson into Jacksonville. Monken’s decision is set for Week 1: Watson starts, and Sanders backs him up. Cleveland’s next official quarterback update will come through practice and depth-chart information before the Jaguars game.
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