Shedeur Sanders won’t be the Week 1 starter for the Browns

Former CU Buff Shedeur Sanders has been moved to the bench once again. The Cleveland Browns announced on Monday that Deshaun Watson will be named the starter for their season opener against Jacksonville.

Just in: Deshaun Watson has been named Cleveland’s starting quarterback for week 1 at Jacksonville. pic.twitter.com/34BNUahkXs

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2026

The carousel continues for Sanders. Last year, the fifth-round pick out of Colorado battled Dillon Gabriel and veteran Joe Flacco for the QB1 job before eventually taking over the starting role for Cleveland’s final seven games. Sanders finished his rookie campaign with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, numbers that were uneven but somehow still earned him a nod to the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl.

Now, despite an impressive showing during training camp and the preseason, where new head coach Todd Monken gave both quarterbacks a fair shot at the job, Sanders finds himself watching from the sidelines again. Sanders started Cleveland’s second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills and showed growth throughout the summer, but Watson’s veteran experience and his massive contract seemingly tipped the scales.

Watson hasn’t taken a snap in a regular-season NFL game since October 2024, when he tore his Achilles. He’s played just 19 games for Cleveland since arriving in 2022 on a fully guaranteed $230 million deal, and the Browns are 26-42 since acquiring him.

Many around the league believe this arrangement is temporary. Cleveland is expected to struggle in 2026, and if Watson falters early, Sanders could be thrust back into the starting role sooner rather later. The Browns open on the road in Jacksonville before traveling to Tampa Bay in Week 2 to face Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers, a brutal stretch that could accelerate any quarterback change.

A place for the former Buff is still being carved in the NFL, but the path hasn’t been a straight line. Sanders has shown flashes, earned respect from teammates, and demonstrated real improvement under Monken’s coaching. The talent is there. The opportunity, for now, will have to wait.

Cleveland’s decision may buy Watson a few weeks. But if recent history is any guide, Sanders won’t be on the bench for long.

Related

Shedeur Sanders makes a statement in bid to earn Browns’ starting spotDeion Sanders says injured top WR Danny Scudero will play in season openerDeion Sanders visits Shedeur Sanders at Browns campJuJu Lewis says what we already knew about CU’s coaching staffDeion Sanders explains why he’s not in College Football 27Coach Prime is healthy and confident in his Buffs at Big XII Media Day