Browns to start Sanders and Watson preseason

Todd Monken said on August 5 that Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson will each get a preseason start as the Cleveland Browns keep their quarterback competition open into exhibition play. The Browns coach said the next week of practice will determine which quarterback starts the Aug. 15 preseason opener at the Chicago Bears and which one starts the Aug. 22 home game against the Buffalo Bills. NBC Sports first reported the plan, citing comments Monken made to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. Cleveland has carried the competition through offseason work and into training camp rather than naming a clear No. 1. NBC Sports reported last week that Sanders and Watson were set to alternate with the first-team offense to begin camp, with Monken saying at the time that “nothing’s really changed” from the offseason program. (nbcsports.com) ### Which Browns quarterbacks are actually in this race? Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders have been the two quarterbacks most directly tied to the Browns’ starting competition in recent national reports. ESPN’s training-camp preview said Monken would oversee a battle between Watson and Sanders, while also noting the room includes Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green. (nbcsports.com) Sanders entered camp with momentum from the spring, according to ESPN, which reported that Browns coaches had been encouraged by his command of the offense in recent months. Watson, a nine-year veteran, has been trying to reestablish himself after limited game action in recent seasons, ESPN reported in May. (espn.com) ### Why are the preseason starts being split now? August 5 became the first firm checkpoint in the competition when Monken laid out a preseason structure instead of naming a starter. NBC Sports reported that the Browns would use the coming week to decide who opens against Chicago and who gets the other early preseason start against Buffalo. (espn.com) That approach keeps the evaluation tied to both practice and game reps. NBC Sports had already reported on July 29 that Sanders and Watson would alternate on the first-team offense to start camp, a sign the Browns were still dividing top reps rather than moving decisively toward one quarterback. (nbcsports.com) ### What has happened in camp before this decision? Wednesday’s practice gave Watson one of his strongest days of camp, according to ESPN. The network reported that Watson threw multiple touchdowns in red-zone and goal-line work and looked more comfortable pushing the ball downfield. (nbcsports.com) Monken has publicly resisted declaring a leader. ESPN quoted him before practice as saying, “I think to say who’s ahead is a little extreme,” underscoring that the staff was not ready to separate the two passers before preseason games begin. ### What exactly happens next on the schedule? (espn.com) The Browns’ first preseason game is scheduled for Aug. 15 at Chicago, and their second is set for Aug. 22 at home against Buffalo, according to the NBC Sports report on Monken’s comments. Monken said the next week would determine which quarterback gets the Chicago start and which one opens the Buffalo game. (espn.com) Training camp at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea runs through Aug. 25, ESPN reported in its Browns camp preview. That leaves the Browns with practices and two preseason starts as the next public checkpoints in deciding who opens the regular season at quarterback. (espn.com) (nbcsports.com)