Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders give Browns a preseason quarterback battle worth watching

The NFL preseason is generally a tough sell.

Fans are excited that football is back, sure, but then the starters play a series or two, and a bunch of guys who aren't going to make the roster finish the game.

But the Cleveland Browns just gave us two reasons to pay attention to their first two preseason games.

RAIDERS' NO.

1 PICK FERNANDO MENDOZA WILL GET 'PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE' IN PRESEASON DEBUT THURSDAY Head coach Todd Monken informed his quarterbacks Wednesday afternoon that Deshaun Watson will start Cleveland's preseason opener Saturday in Chicago against the Bears.

Monken also plans to start Shedeur Sanders in the Browns' second preseason game, at home against the Buffalo Bills on Aug.

22.

Now we're talking.

Monken said the plan is for Watson and Sanders to play roughly a half apiece against Chicago, then flip the order the following week against Buffalo.

Cleveland has spent the offseason treating its quarterback job like an actual competition , and Monken has backed that up with how he's handled practice.

Watson and Sanders have alternated days working with the first-team offense during training camp after both received opportunities with the starters during the spring.

But preseason football is where that competition finally becomes something the rest of us can actually evaluate.

FALCONS QUARTERBACK COMPETITION TAKES EARLY HIT AS TUA TAGOVAILOA SUFFERS 'FLARE-UP' IN TRAINING CAMP Watson gets the first crack, and his start against Chicago carries plenty of weight even if Monken isn't ready to call anyone QB1.

Watson hasn't appeared in an NFL game since rupturing his Achilles in October 2024.