The Cleveland Browns launched their 2026 preseason Saturday against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, with the team’s unsettled quarterback competition taking centre stage. Head coach Todd Monken designated Deshaun Watson as the starter for the opener. Watson is expected to play through the first half before Shedeur Sanders takes over at the start of the third quarter.
Cleveland is one of the few NFL franchises yet to name a starting quarterback for the regular season. Both signal-callers have split first-team reps throughout training camp, with the official depth chart listing them side by side rather than in any clear order, according to cleveland.com.
Watson’s Case for the Starting Job
Nobody was shocked. As NFL.com reported, Watson’s selection to start first was not entirely unexpected. The 30-year-old missed the entire 2025 season through injury, and his return to full health has given Cleveland reason to see whether he can still justify his place on the roster. He is in the final year of a fully guaranteed $230 million contract signed in 2022, giving him a single window to prove his worth. Watson told the Browns’ official site ahead of Wednesday’s practice that he was excited for the opportunity and grateful for the work he had put in with his training staff to reach this point.
Sanders Learns on the Job
Sanders is no newcomer, having made seven starts for Cleveland last season after entering his rookie campaign as the team’s fourth-string option. As USA Today reported, Sanders will get his own preseason start the following week when the Browns host the Buffalo Bills. Monken told USA Today Sports that the competition is tight and that he would not be splitting reps if he already had a clear favourite, adding that he sees no reason to name a starter given how well both quarterbacks have performed.
The race is genuinely close. Bolavip noted that the front office is paying particularly close attention to how each quarterback handles two-minute drill situations, with ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reporting that this aspect of the game will remain the key evaluation metric for as long as reps continue to be shared.
Rookies and an Overhauled Offensive Line Also in Focus
The quarterback duel is not the only subplot worth tracking. Rookie wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston are both expected to make their NFL debuts in the contest. Four new starters anchor Cleveland’s offensive line, giving the unit its first real test of cohesion.
On the other side, Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed that starting quarterback Caleb Williams will sit out the preseason opener. Backup Tyson Bagent is slated to start and play roughly half the game.
How the Preseason Plan Unfolds
Monken’s scheduling of the two quarterbacks appears deliberate. Watson starts Week 1 in Chicago, Sanders starts Week 2 at home against Buffalo, and whichever player gets the nod for the third preseason game against the New England Patriots on August 27 will likely be trending toward winning the job outright. That game matters most. Cleveland.com reported that contest is scheduled as a Thursday Night Football game at Huntington Bank Field.
Monken has not offered a timeline for a final decision, and he has not signalled a preference publicly beyond the game-by-game rotation now underway.
