The Cleveland Browns held what was viewed as a wide-open quarterback competition during the 2026 NFL offseason.
Ultimately, Deshaun Watson beat out Shedeur Sanders despite first-year Browns coach Todd Monken opining that Sanders had "closed the gap" during the competition.
"We felt over the course of training camp and the offseason that (Watson) was ahead of Shedeur," Monken explained at the time. "Shedeur's closed that gap, for sure. And that's a credit to him. We look forward to Shedeur continuing to grow as a player, but ultimately, we're about Week 1. Putting our best foot forward over the next three weeks."
Naturally, Monken's praise of Sanders created another question. When exactly would the Colorado product get a chance to start if things
don't go well under Watson's leadership?
Here's what to know about Cleveland's timeline for playing Sanders during the 2026 NFL season.
When will Shedeur Sanders start?
The Browns haven't yet provided a clue about when Sanders might start. When announcing Watson as the starter, Monken said he didn't expect Cleveland's quarterback situation to change on a week-to-week basis.
"Ultimately we expect him to play well or we wouldn't be starting him," Monken said, referencing Watson.
That said, there has been plenty of speculation about Sanders being given a chance to start as early as Week 3, when the Browns make their 2026 home debut.
Watson has endured a rocky relationship with Browns fans across his time in Cleveland. He has routinely been booed for his poor performance across his tenure, including during his rough outing at Huntington Bank Field in preseason Week 2.
Watson jabbed at the fans for their reaction to him during that game, referring to the boos as "personal" and "disrespectful."
"I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance," Watson told reporters. "It’s a little bit more personal than that. So, I think it's a disrespectful thing. I'm gonna keep whatever I feel with me and my family, internally, on how I feel about that and just move on."
Watson later apologized for his reaction to the fans after being named the team's No. 1 quarterback.
Nonetheless, the incident has only further fueled speculation that the Browns could install Sanders as the starter for the home opener if Watson doesn't perform well during Cleveland's season-opening road games.
Why isn't Shedeur Sanders starting?
As mentioned, Sanders isn't starting because the Browns named Watson their starting quarterback to open the 2026 NFL season.
Watson and Sanders were engaged in a tight quarterback battle throughout the offseason, and each got a chance to start one preseason game. Watson looked the better of the two quarterbacks in preseason Week 1, his start, while Sanders vastly outperformed Watson in Cleveland's second preseason game.
Many believed Sanders would get the nod after his strong performance against the Buffalo Bills. Instead, Monken backed Watson, noting he had remained slightly ahead of Sanders throughout the competition.
Watson finished the 2026 preseason completing 16 of 27 passes (59.3%) for 162 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. By comparison, Sanders completed 15 of 22 passes (68.2%) for 153 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Deshaun Watson stats 2026
Watson started Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season for the Browns. Things didn't go well, as Cleveland's offense largely struggled to move the ball in a 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Watson's overall numbers don't look too bad. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception while scrambling for 38 yards on six carries.
However, much of Watson's production came in garbage time, as Cleveland's lone touchdown came when the team was already down 34-3. He was also sacked five times and fumbled once across his outing.
Watson will look to post a better performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. If he can't, he could soon find Sanders breathing down his neck in what figures to be a season-long quarterback battle.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When will Shedeur Sanders start? Why Browns QB is backing up Deshaun Watson
