Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken named Deshaun Watson the starter for the team's first preseason game against the Chicago Bears on Saturday.
"I'm super excited," Watson said Wednesday, according to team writer Kelsey Russo. "All the hard work that I put in with the training staff, with my team, my personal team, to get to this stage has been tremendous for me. So, I'm super excited for those opportunities and can't wait for it."
Shedeur Sanders will start the second game of the preseason versus the Buffalo Bills.
Monken said each quarterback will likely play a half during the team's preseason opener. However, he didn't offer much about why he decided to start Watson first.
"I have my reasons for how it's going to go, and it's still a competition," Monken added.
The more experienced Watson has taken more first-team reps at training camp, but both passers have mostly alternated snaps with the starting team.
Watson missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon. Meanwhile, Sanders appeared in eight games for the Browns as a rookie last season, posting a 3-4 record in seven starts.
