Shedeur Sanders is in line to make his first start of the season for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at the New Orleans Saints, after Deshaun Watson was placed in the concussion protocol on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Head coach Todd Monken said Watson has not been ruled out for the game, but the Browns are preparing Sanders to start. Shedeur Sanders took the first-team reps in practice on Wednesday.
How Shedeur Sanders moved into line for the start
Watson took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Steelers safety Jaquan Brisker on Cleveland’s opening possession in a 27-6 loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday, Nov. 1. The Browns said Watson was checked on the field by an athletic trainer spotter and the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant, passed the evaluation, and returned on the next series. Team doctors checked him again after the game and on Monday morning, and he showed no symptoms at either check. On Tuesday morning, Watson told the medical staff he had begun feeling symptoms on Monday night, and he was placed in the protocol at once.
Monken gave Watson credit for reporting the symptoms himself. “After the game, he felt fine. Monday night, started feeling a little bit, little bit of a headache, and came in Tuesday and, you know, reported,” Monken said. “So, credit to him for someone who really loves playing the game.” Monken added that Watson can take part in team meetings while he works through the protocol, so he can stay ready if he is cleared. The Browns have game-planned with the idea that Sanders will start, and Monken said the plan will not change much if Watson is cleared in time.
What Shedeur Sanders has done so far this season
Shedeur Sanders, 24, has played in two games this season and has completed all three of his pass attempts for two yards. He played four snaps against Pittsburgh after Watson went to the medical tent, completing both of his passes for two yards. Shedeur Sanders started seven games as a rookie in 2025, after Cleveland took him with the 144th pick of the 2025 draft, a fifth-round pick out of Colorado by way of Jackson State. A start on Sunday would be his first since Week 18 of last season, and it would give Cleveland and the rest of the league fresh tape on the second-year quarterback.
Dillon Gabriel, activated off injured reserve on Oct. 26, would be the likely backup if Shedeur Sanders starts, with rookie Taylen Green also on the roster. Watson, 31, 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. Monken said Watson is still the starter when he is cleared. “He’s been our starter for eight games. I would assume he’s still our starter,” Monken said.
A start on Sunday would also give the Browns a fresh look at Sanders before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, when roster choices across the league will be set. Sanders has seen only a handful of snaps this season, so a full game would give Cleveland and the rest of the league fresh evaluation tape on a quarterback who has spent most of the year as the backup. The Browns took Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 draft, and a strong showing against New Orleans would strengthen his case for a bigger role, while a rough one would leave the Browns waiting on Watson to clear the protocol. For now, the next few days of practice will show how ready Shedeur Sanders is for a first start this season.
What the Shedeur Sanders start would mean for Cleveland
Cleveland is 5-3 and third in the AFC North, one game behind Pittsburgh, which beat the Browns 27-6 on Sunday. The Browns play at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET against a New Orleans team that is 2-5. A win would keep Cleveland close to the top of the division with the trade deadline set for Nov. 10. Monken would not rule Watson out, and the Thursday and Friday injury reports will settle who starts. For now, the first-team reps belong to Sanders, and the Browns are getting ready as if he will lead the offense on Sunday.