The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition finally moved from the practice field to game action Saturday against the Chicago Bears.
Deshaun Watson opened the preseason matchup under center, while Shedeur Sanders took over after halftime. The split gave both quarterbacks a chance to show where they stand, but it also raised questions about how Cleveland plans to handle Sanders.
Mike Greenberg Questions the Browns’ Plan for Shedeur Sanders
During “Get Up” on ESPN, Mike Greenberg pointed to the perception surrounding Sanders and how his draft position could affect the way people judge his current situation.
“They’re not developing him like they’re trying to make him the starter, like he’s their guy going forward,” he said. “And that puts him, to your point, he’s not getting all the work. He’s not getting all the reps. He’s going to look like a young player because he’s not being treated like a guy they’re trying to develop.”
“They’re not developing him like they’re trying to make him the starter.” @Espngreeny shares his thoughts on how Shedeur Sanders is being treated by the Browns 🤔 pic.twitter.com/fbQheVDRU7
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 18, 2026
Earlier in the week, Browns head coach Todd Monken had already outlined the quarterback rotation. Watson would start against Chicago, with Sanders entering at the beginning of the third quarter.
Next week against the Buffalo Bills, however, the order will flip. Sanders will start before Watson takes over in the second half.
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During preseason Week 1, Watson offered Cleveland a steadier showing before leaving at halftime.
He completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards, added 4 yards on 3 carries, and led 2 scoring drives. Although he did not throw a touchdown or interception, Watson did take a strip-sack.
Still, considering he had not played in nearly two years after undergoing back-to-back Achilles surgeries, the outing gave the Browns some reason for optimism.
Meanwhile, Sanders did not play through the rest of the game after replacing Watson.
Dillon Gabriel entered in the fourth quarter, ending Sanders’ night at 6-of-11 passing for 79 yards and an interception. Still, he produced one standout moment when he fired a 35-yard pass to wide receiver Luke Floriea under pressure.
Unfortunately, Sanders also overthrew one pass, which turned into an interception.
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Earlier, during his first drive, the former Colorado star fumbled a snap, although the running back recovered it before Chicago could take advantage.
Saturday’s matchup carried plenty of weight for both quarterbacks, and Watson clearly produced the stronger performance.
And Sanders has struggled to find consistency since entering the league. Last season, he completed only 56.6% of his passes for 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions across 8 appearances.
His PFN QB Impact Score of 63.0 ranked second-worst in the league.
Therefore, the Browns need to see more progress if Sanders wants to strengthen his case in the competition. Now, Sanders heads into next week’s start against the Buffalo Bills with added pressure.
