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Cleveland Browns quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson have been having a spirited battle for the starting job during training camp and the preseason. Head coach Todd Monken said on Sunday that a decision on the winner of the battle will be announced on Monday.

While it is widely believed that the much-maligned veteran Watson will be the starting quarterback, Sanders might have given the first-year coach some pause after a strong preseason performance on Saturday, including a scoring drive in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills.

Will Deshaun Watson be Relegated to Bench Role?

Watson made the start last Saturday in the preseason opener on the road against the Chicago Bears, working with the first-team offense. It wasn’t a great performance for Watson, but he did lead two scoring drives, amounting to 10 points, and the Browns were tied 10-10 at halftime with the Bears before falling off heavily in the second half.

In that game against the Bears, Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards, while running three times for four yards. He was able to finish with a 98.2 quarterback rating, while he was sacked once and he was credited with a lost fumble.

Watson hasn’t started a regular-season game since Oct. 20, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field against the Cincinnati Bengals, the day he suffered a torn Achilles tendon. Ironically, he had completed 15 of 17 passes for 128 yards, and his 88.2 percent completion percentage was the best single-game mark of his career in a game with at least 15 passing attempts.

Shedeur Sanders Helped Himself, but it’s a Numbers Game

Sanders acquitted himself well in a preseason start Saturday against the Buffalo Bills. He made the start, completing 9 of 11 passes for 74 yards, one touchdown and one interception while running once for two yards. He also had a key fourth-down conversion, and a touchdown strike on the opening drive.

Sanders was facing long odds, as the Browns rested nearly all starters in the loss to Buffalo, but he still fared well until a second-quarter interception on a pass which sailed high. It was a stark contrast to his performance in Chicago which saw him struggle, while throwing another pick.

Against the Bills, Watson was just 5 of 12 for 36 yards in the second half with no touchdowns and one interception. He also ran twice for 13 yards, but it was a dismal performance. And, he was booed by the hometown fans, and in his post-game presser, he expressed his displeasure about getting booed by the fans, both for his shaky performance Saturday, as well as lamenting how some fans cheered back in 2024 when he was injured.

Watson has a base salary of just $1.3 million in 2026 as a result of a restructure in the offseason, but he also received a bonus of $44.7 million. It is believed that ownership wants Watson to play, as they try and get something back for all of the money they spent on, perhaps, the worst contract in NFL history. Monken has said he won’t make decisions based on Watson’s emotional post-game presser, or the desires of ownership, but it’s hard to imagine the money won’t play a factor.

Sanders, Watson Won’t Play Preseason Finale

It was also announced that neither Sanders nor Watson will play in the preseason finale Thursday against the New England Patriots. It will be Dillon Gabriel making the start, while rookie Taylen Green, who has reportedly turned heads in camp, will play the second half.

Todd Monken excited to see #Browns rookie QB Taylen Green play vs. the #Patriots Thursday night; He’ll rest the starters, including his QB1 –>
https://t.co/dXOu3KxUmW

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 24, 2026

We’ll see what the first-year head coach Todd Monken decides on Monday. It is expected to be Watson, but we’ll see.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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