Shedeur Sanders Is in Line to Start for the Browns Against the Saints: What It Means for Cleveland

The Browns placed Deshaun Watson in the NFL’s concussion protocol on Wednesday, and Shedeur Sanders is next in line to start Sunday at New Orleans, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. Cleveland has not officially named a starter.

Head coach Todd Monken left the door open. “We’ll let it play out,” he said, while confirming that Sanders would take the first-team reps in Wednesday’s practice.

How Watson Got Here

Watson took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Steelers safety Jaquan Brisker on Cleveland’s opening possession in Pittsburgh on Nov. 1. He was checked by an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant, missed three plays and finished the game. He passed his postgame and Monday-morning evaluations.

Then the symptoms arrived. “On Tuesday morning, he reported to the medical staff that he began experiencing concussion symptoms Monday night,” the team said in a statement. Monken credited him for raising it. “Credit to him as someone who really loves playing the game,” the coach said.

Watson has started all eight games for Cleveland this season, completing 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,806 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also been sacked 33 times, more than any quarterback in the league. He has to clear the five-step protocol to play Sunday, and Monken would not rule it out. “There’s a long time between now and then,” he said.

What Sanders Has Done So Far

Sanders is 24, wears No. 2 and was the 144th pick of the 2025 draft, a fifth-rounder out of Colorado by way of Jackson State. He lost the training camp competition to Watson in August and has appeared in two games this season, going 3-of-3 for two yards.

His rookie year is the larger sample. He played eight games, started seven and completed 120 of 212 passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, going 3-4 as a starter while adding 169 rushing yards.

Monken said the preparation has been there. “He’s been working each week diligently with the expectation of the chance he could play,” he said.

Sanders was asked when he found out. “I’d say about the same time you all got the news,” he said. On his week of prep: “The same way that I’ve been preparing every week. No different.”

Receiver KC Concepcion spoke for the locker room. “It was unfortunate what happened to Deshaun, but we’re going to pick up Shedeur’s confidence, and get him ready for Sunday,” he said.

The Matchup Is Favorable

Cleveland is 5-3 and third in the AFC North, one game behind Pittsburgh, which just beat them 27-6. The Browns play at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

New Orleans is 2-5 coming off a bye, and its defense has been generous. The Saints rank 28th against the pass at 233.3 net yards allowed per game, have given up 66.1 percent completions and have only four interceptions. They allow 27.7 points a game, 29th in the league, and 4.8 yards a carry on the ground.

There is still a pass rush to respect. New Orleans has 18 sacks, with Chase Young at seven, third in the NFL, and Carl Granderson at 5.5 including one in each of his last three games. Brandon Staley runs the defense for second-year head coach Kellen Moore.

Cleveland scores 17.4 points a game and converts 32.4 percent of its third downs, both near the bottom of the league. A first start against the 28th-ranked pass defense is about as soft a landing as a backup quarterback is going to get.

What Is Still Open

The decision is reported, not announced. Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot described the vibe at team headquarters on Wednesday as pointing toward Sanders. Dillon Gabriel, activated off injured reserve on Oct. 26, would be the likely backup, with rookie Taylen Green also on the roster.

Monken has not ruled Watson out, and the Thursday and Friday injury reports will settle it. What is already settled is that a 5-3 team with a playoff path is one medical clearance away from handing the offense to a fifth-round pick making his eighth career start.

Carlos Garcia

A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.