QB Shedeur Sanders will make his first start of the 2026 season in Week 9, as head coach Todd Monken announced Sanders will start against the Saints with QB Deshaun Watson remaining in the concussion protocol.
Sanders took reps with the first team throughout the week in preparation to start against New Orleans.
"Been great, been a really good three days," Monken said. "I liked his confidence, liked the way that he operated. Looked very comfortable in terms of getting our guys in and out of the huddle, getting to the line of scrimmage which will be half of the battle this week obviously going there. And I thought he threw the ball extremely well."
Watson is officially listed as questionable heading into Week 9 as he works through the concussion protocol. He did not participate in practice on Wednesday and Thursday but returned in a limited capacity on Friday. Monken said that they are starting Sanders because Watson has been unable to fully practice throughout the week. Monken said Watson was able to do work in individual drills, as well as been in the meeting room, but could not participate in team reps.
Watson was first placed in the concussion protocol on Wednesday after experiencing concussion symptoms Monday night that he reported to the medical staff Tuesday morning. Watson took a helmet-to-helmet hit in the first quarter against the Steelers, was cleared to return to the game and cleared Monday morning following another evaluation.
Serving as the backup quarterback through the first eight weeks of the season, Sanders has prepared to step in when needed. Sanders has continuously participated in the Hungry Dawgs group after practice for additional reps and been in the meeting room throughout the season to stay ready in case he had to enter a game. Monken added Sanders has also been involved on the sidelines during games, present with quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian and Watson as they discuss the previous offensive series.
He has also played in two games in the 2026 season, where he recorded one completed pass in Week 3 against the Panthers, and two completed passes for two yards in Week 8 against Pittsburgh. Both instances occurred when Watson took a hit and came out for part of the series.
Now this week, Sanders has the opportunity to showcase his work dating back to training camp and the preseason, as well as his preparation in the regular season, in the starting role.
During training camp and the preseason, Sanders competed in the quarterback competition and split reps with Watson. He took reps with both the first team and the second team and built chemistry with the starters. Monken believes there are positives from the number of reps he took with the first team during training camp, as well as his overall understanding of the system and how they operate the offense that he can recall from training camp to utilize in Week 9 against the Saints. His participation in the meeting room and his presence on the sideline during games to hear the calls can also prove beneficial.
"He's only going to continue to get better, he really is," Monken said. "He's very diligent, and he likes to play football. Has a natural confidence about him. Just like any young player he has to play. […] Where he's improved is his footwork, his drops, his mechanics, understanding where to go with the ball, sense of urgency in terms of working through his progressions, protections. There were so many things he needed to work on, and he's done that – like any young player has a lot to work on, especially at the quarterback position. And you could see that from the moment that we got here, and that's why we opened up the competition and split the reps was because of his ascend. That's what we did. And again, this is another piece of that, just like this weekend is another piece of that."
As Sanders prepares to take the field against the Saints, his teammates and Monken believe in his ability to operate the offense and lead the Browns.
"I'm fired up to see him play, who wouldn't be?" Monken said. "Let's go. It's the expectation of the position. This is what he has wanted. He wants to be a starting quarterback in the NFL let's go, let's let it rip. Let's see what we got."
