Shedeur Sanders Starts as Browns Visit Saints

Shedeur Sanders will make his first start of the 2026 season on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns visit the New Orleans Saints, NFL.com and the Browns confirmed. Deshaun Watson remains in concussion protocol and is listed as questionable after a limited Friday return.

Cleveland is 5-3 and slipped to third in the AFC North behind Pittsburgh (6-2) and Cincinnati (5-2). Kickoff is 1 p.m. ET at Caesars Superdome. Coach Todd Monken has not decided whether Watson will be active if he clears protocol, and he said Watson still cannot do team reps.

Sanders Ran First Team All Week

Monken said Sanders took first-team reps throughout the week and looked comfortable getting the offense to the line. “Liked his confidence, liked the way that he operated,” Monken said, per ClevelandBrowns.com. The Browns gained 319 yards last week in Pittsburgh but scored only six points in a 27-6 loss, so the bar for Sunday is simple: finish drives.

Watson was limited Friday after missing Wednesday and Thursday. He can do individual work and meetings, but Monken said the missing team reps are why Sanders is the named starter.

What Sanders Brings Into the Dome

Sanders, a 2025 fifth-round pick out of Colorado, started seven games as a rookie (3-4, 56.6 percent, 1,400 yards, 7 touchdowns, 10 interceptions). This season he has two appearances totaling three completions for 2 yards, both when Watson left a series after a hit. If Watson is inactive, the backup is 2025 third-rounder Dillon Gabriel.

Watson has already started a career-high eight games as a Brown and led five game-winning drives this year, but he also took a league-high 33 sacks. Monken’s call keeps the starter role on Sanders for Sunday regardless of how the protocol timeline moves overnight.

Sanders has stayed ready all year in the Hungry Dawgs period after practice and on the sideline with the coaches. Monken opened the preseason competition and split reps because of that ascent, and Sunday is the next test of it on the road in a division race that got tighter after Pittsburgh.

Browns at Saints Sunday

New Orleans is a loud road spot, and Cleveland needs a division statement after falling behind Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Sanders gets the first look with the starters he practiced with all week.

Smacktok pick lean: Lean Shedeur Sanders pass attempts at New Orleans. He ran first-team reps all week and is the named starter with Watson still out of team work. If Watson clears and is active only as the backup, keep the Sanders attempts lean; if Watson is upgraded to start after Saturday’s final check, park the Sanders play and move to Browns team totals instead.