Browns to give Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson a preseason start apiece, extending quarterback competition

The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback decision is not being rushed. According to Yahoo Sports, Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson are each expected to receive a preseason start, with the player who has led through the first two preseason games slated to get the nod in the third.

This approach keeps the competition visible on game days, rather than settling on a starter based only on offseason work and practice reps. For a team, the preseason is the closest thing to a live evaluation, and giving both quarterbacks first-team snaps in consecutive preseason starts indicates that the Browns want more than one clean comparison point before making the call.

Browns head coach Todd Monken reportedly had hoped to name a starting quarterback by the offseason program, an internal timeline that did not end up producing a final answer. As a result, the competition has continued into the training-camp period, stretching the decision deeper into the period when coaches typically compress their evaluations.

Watson and Sanders, in this setup, are both positioned to influence how the Browns define their offense. A preseason start does not only measure execution. It also affects rhythm, timing with the first-team offense, and how the coaching staff adjusts the plan around a quarterback’s reads and decision-making under game conditions.

While preseason games are useful for evaluation, they also come with caveats. Personnel usage often shifts from game to game, and game-script realities can change how much of the playbook each quarterback is asked to run. That is why teams frequently treat multiple preseason starts as a way to reduce the risk of making too much out of one early sample size.

For Browns fans, the key takeaway is that the quarterback picture remains fluid. If one player’s performance is clearly separated in the first two games, that player would likely control the third start. But the fact that the other quarterback still earns first-team time means the Browns are still testing whether there is an equally viable alternative.

Looking ahead, the Browns’ next quarterback-related story will likely hinge on how the offensive unit performs with each quarterback, and how the gap in precision, tempo, and situational execution appears from one start to the next. Coaches typically do not want a prolonged race to drag into the regular season, so the preseason stretch is likely functioning as the final, practical checkpoint before the Browns narrow the field further.