Shedeur Sanders received the first piece of bad news Monday when Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken officially named Deshaun Watson his Week 1 starting quarterback. The second might be even more important.
Monken made clear that Cleveland does not intend to treat the position as a weekly audition. That suggests Sanders may need to do considerably more than simply wait for one poor Watson performance before getting another opportunity.
Todd Monken Says Browns QB Decision Is Not Week-to-Week
The Browns officially announced Watson as their starter for the Sept. 13 opener at Jacksonville after evaluating the quarterbacks throughout the offseason, training camp, preseason, and joint practices.
“Took in the full body of work,” Monken said in the team announcement, adding that Watson gave Cleveland “the best chance to move the ball and score points.”
More significantly for Sanders, Monken told reporters that naming Watson the starter is “not a week-to-week thing,” indicating that Cleveland intends to give the veteran quarterback a genuine opportunity to hold the job rather than reopening the competition after every game.
That creates a longer waiting period for Sanders despite his stronger showing against Buffalo. He completed 9 of 11 passes for 74 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Saturday’s 31 to 7 loss. Watson finished 5 of 12 for 36 yards with an interception.
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Deshaun Watson Apologizes After Browns Fans’ Comments
Watson also addressed another issue Monday, apologizing for his emotional comments about Browns fans following Saturday’s game.
“My emotions got the best of me,” Watson said, explaining that he understood the frustration surrounding his Cleveland tenure and wanted to focus on giving the city something to celebrate.
#Browns Deshaun Watson apologizes for his postgame remarks, saying he’s human. Wants to win for the fans: pic.twitter.com/LXbIvkPgdO
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 24, 2026
Watson said he never intended to attack Cleveland supporters and acknowledged that the organization invested heavily in him after acquiring him in 2022.
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“I’m human,” Watson said. “I take full responsibility of that.”
His comments came two days after he described the boos directed at him as “disrespectful” and suggested the reaction had become personal. Monken said Sunday that those remarks would not factor into his quarterback decision.
Sanders still has his own shortcomings to overcome. He finished 2025 with a 63.0 PFN QB Impact score, ranking second-worst among qualifying quarterbacks while throwing 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
The competition may technically be over, but Sanders is still positioned as the alternative if Watson struggles or gets injured.
The bigger problem for Sanders is timing. Monken’s latest comments indicate Cleveland is not planning to pull the plug after one rough Sunday. For now, Watson has more than just the starting job. He has the patience of his head coach, too.
