As the Cleveland Browns kickstart their preseason, the competition for the QB1 role between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson reaches a new level. Thus, head coach Todd Monken has made it clear both Sanders and Watson will play against the Chicago Bears in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL Preseason.
Both quarterbacks will get their chance to command the Browns’ offense as they visit the Bears at Soldier Field. Exactly how many drives each signal-caller will have remains to be seen. Rather than focusing on defeating Chicago, Cleveland will be focused on its QBs, hoping to have an epiphany about who the starter should be during the 2026 NFL season.
According to ESPN, Watson will start the game under center, with Sanders expected to replace him, perhaps in the second quarter. Although that could indicate the veteran QB is ahead of the sophomore in the battle for the starting job, fans should wait before crowning a winner. On the other end of the field, Caleb Williams won’t play for the Bears, meaning the Browns have something less to worry about.
Sanders will get his chance next week
While Watson will be the Browns’ starting quarterback during Week 1 of the 2026 NFL Preseason, Monken and his staff have a plan in place. Next week, when the Browns host their Lake Erie neighbors, the Buffalo Bills, at Huntington Bank Field, Sanders will start for Cleveland.
Shedeur Sanders (left) and Deshaun Watson (right) of the Cleveland Browns.
Most likely, whoever gets the nod for Week 3’s showdown against the New England Patriots will be the one trending toward winning the quarterback battle. Still, that’s further down the road.
For the time being, both Watson and Sanders must focus on the task at hand, which is playing smart football against the Bears. Monken has high expectations for both quarterbacks and expects them to meet those expectations, even if it’s only over a couple of preseason drives.
What Browns are looking for out of Watson and Shedeur
“This is a coaching staff—brand new coaching staff, mind you—that has no preconceived notions of either quarterback. They’ve really given both Watson and Sanders a clean slate,” Courtney Cronin reported on SportsCenter. “It’s the two-minute drill that the front office is looking most closely at. And that will go as long as they’re splitting first-team reps.”
Just like in a two-minute drill, the pressure is on the Browns’ quarterbacks. The ball is in their court, and their future in the 2026 NFL season is in their hands. Oftentimes, preseason games are considered meaningless, but that’s definitely not the case for Cleveland, which is arguably the team to watch during this three-week stretch as it faces a crucial decision—one that will make waves and raise eyebrows regardless of who earns the starting job between Sanders and Watson.
