Watson to Start Browns’ Preseason Opener; Sanders Tabbed for Week 2
Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken announced that Deshaun Watson will start at quarterback for the team's exhibition opener against the Chicago Bears on Saturday. Shedeur Sanders will start the following week against the Buffalo Bills. This decision comes as both…
Fort Myers Naples, FL, August 12, 2026 —
Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken has named Deshaun Watson as the starting quarterback for the team’s upcoming exhibition opener against the Chicago Bears. The game is scheduled for Saturday.
Watson will take the field as the starter for the first preseason contest. The decision follows a period of competition for the starting role throughout the team’s training camp.
Looking ahead to the second week of the preseason, quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been selected to start against the Buffalo Bills. This announcement indicates a planned rotation for evaluating both quarterbacks during the exhibition schedule.
The competition between Watson and Sanders has been a key storyline during the Browns’ training camp as the coaching staff assessed their performance and readiness for the upcoming season.
Story summarized from the original created by AP on apnews.com, see more information here.
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