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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Cleveland Browns' ongoing quarterback competition has been one of the biggest storylines in the NFL for months. On one side, there's the $230 million man, Deshaun Watson, looking to revitalize his career after two Achilles tears. On the other, there's second-year player Shedeur Sanders, aiming to prove doubters wrong after an up-and-down rookie season.
On Wednesday, the Browns made their call for who would start Cleveland's preseason opener against the Chicago Bears on Saturday at Soldier Field: Deshaun Watson.
Head coach Todd Monken previously said both quarterbacks would get reps in the game and that the starter would play the first half. That means Watson will be the first man under center for the Browns on Saturday, with Sanders set to get his turn starting next week against the Buffalo Bills back in Cleveland.
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"I'm super excited," Watson said ahead of Wednesday's practice. "All the hard work that I put in with the training staff, with my team, my personal team, to get to this stage has been tremendous for me. So, I'm super excited for those opportunities and can't wait for it."
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Monken has made clear the competition is still very much ongoing. These preseason games mark both Watson and Sanders' first chance at live game action to make the case that they deserve the starting job for Week 1.
Both quarterbacks alternated working with the first- and second-team offense throughout training camp, and each had his moments, mixing flashy touchdowns with costly interceptions. Both are also tasked with learning a new offense under Monken and incoming offensive coordinator Travis Switzer, adding even more pressure to the situation.
Time will tell who earns the starting job by the time the regular season arrives, but Watson getting the nod for the preseason opener could be an early — if not definitive — signal of where the competition currently stands.
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