Browns starting Deshaun Watson over Shedeur Sanders vs. Texans

This past Monday, first-year Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken declined to confirm that Deshaun Watson would resume serving as the club's starting quarterback over second-year pro Shedeur Sanders when 5-4 Cleveland hosts the 3-5 Houston Texans this coming Sunday. 

On Wednesday morning, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer revealed some expected news. 

Browns make expected Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders decision

Per Cabot, Watson will return to the lineup this Sunday after he missed Cleveland's game against the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 8. ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal and The Athletic later repeated that "Monken has decided to start Watson when the Browns play host to the quarterback's former team." 

Watson was with the Texans from the 2017 NFL Draft through the 2021 season. He didn't play during his final campaign with the Texans after he requested a trade, and Houston ultimately sent him to Cleveland in March 2022. 

More recently, Watson missed practice time last week while in the NFL's concussion protocol before Monken named Sanders the starter for the New Orleans game. In Cleveland's 23-22 overtime loss to the Saints, Sanders completed 19-of-31 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns. He was also an overtime completion on a two-point try away from leading the team to a road win. 

A Monday report said that "the Browns plan to start" Watson against the Texans, but Monken later teased that he could sit a healthy Watson in favor of Sanders. 

Could the Browns go back to Shedeur Sanders sooner rather than later? 

Watson recorded five fourth-quarter game-winning drives from Week 2 through Week 7. However, ESPN stats show that he began Wednesday ranked 28th in the league among 31 qualified players with a 40.8 adjusted QBR on the season. Thus, some understandably wondered whether Sanders could get another start ahead of Cleveland's Week 11 bye. 

Shortly after Cabot shared her report, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Browns as 4.5-point home underdogs against the Texans. If Watson produces a dud in downtown Cleveland this weekend, whispers about Monken possibly making a full-time move to Sanders during the bye will grow louder. 

For now, it sounds like those inside the Browns locker room are not "divided" regarding which signal-caller should start against Houston.