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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Shedeur Sanders will start at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in New Orleans, with Deshaun Watson still in concussion protocol. Watson took a helmet-to-helmet hit in the first quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Steelers and played most of the game, but his symptoms got worse Monday night. He returned to practice in a limited role Friday and has no team reps, and Todd Monken said it's unclear whether Watson will even be the backup. The Browns are 5-3 and coming off a loss in Pittsburgh, while the Saints are 2-5 after their bye. It will be Sanders' first start since Week 18 of last season and his first start of 2026.
Speaking with reporters, Monken said he's "fired up" to see what Sanders can do and that it's the opportunity Sanders has been waiting for.
"I'm fired up. I'm fired up to see him play, I mean, who wouldn't be, right? I mean, let's go," Monken said. "This is what he's wanted. He wants to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. Let's go. Let's let it rip. Let's see what we got, right? And we're not holding anything back. I mean, we're gonna try to get after it Sunday and see what we got in him at quarterback and the rest of us. And the player's gotta play well around him. This isn't a Shedeur thing."
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"We gotta play collectively well together and help the quarterback out. And certainly, like I said, I'm excited to see him play," Monken added.
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Sanders is in his second year with the Browns and was the team's fifth-round pick in 2025, leaving Colorado with the highest career completion percentage in FBS history. He started seven games as a rookie, throwing for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns with 10 interceptions, with Cleveland going 3-4.
This summer, he and Watson split reps in a tight QB competition, but Monken named Watson the starter in August, citing the best chance to move the ball and score on the road. Sanders has played just two snap-heavy cameos since, in Weeks 3 and 8.
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While Watson won the starting job in the offseason, there's still a path back for Sanders. Watson's contract expires after this season, he's in concussion protocol, and fans have backed Sanders for over a year now. Cleveland also has two first-round picks in 2027 and a strong quarterback class coming in, so the front office needs to know what it has in the building first.
A good game would make a strong case for Sanders as the starter for the rest of the season and potentially beyond. A poor one, however, would make that case harder to argue. For a 5-3 team trying to stay in the playoff picture, it's a significant opportunity for Sanders.
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