Todd Monken confirms suspicion about Browns QB Shedeur Sanders’ role in Week 1 game vs Jaguars
We now know what Browns QB Shedeur Sanders’ playing status looks like for Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road.
The Cleveland Browns are days away from their Week 1 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Deshaun Watson will make his first start since suffering an Achilles injury during a Week 7 game against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024.
Watson won the offseason quarterback competition over Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, but the question of who would back him up carried its own drama heading into the opener.
Shedeur Sanders secures the backup role after offseason noise
The quarterback competition was mainly between Watson and Sanders all offseason. Watson separated himself during training camp after pulling ahead during OTAs, and by the time the Browns entered game-week preparation, noise surfaced that Sanders might not even be the No. 2 quarterback for the opener.
Todd Monken left the door open for rookie Taylen Green to have a special package of plays against the Jaguars and commented that keeping three quarterbacks active on game day isn’t ideal. That sparked conversation about Sanders potentially being the odd man out, suiting up only as the emergency third quarterback. However, Monken revealed on Wednesday that he anticipates Sanders will be Watson’s backup on Sunday against Jacksonville.
Why this matters for the Browns to start the season
Monken putting the speculation to rest before the opener is probably a good thing. There’s no surprise or anticipation leading into the game about Sanders’ status. He’s the backup, and he needs to be ready.
Sanders started seven games as a rookie last season, going 3-4 during that stretch while throwing seven touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. If Sanders can cut down on the turnovers, he has a chance to stay on the field whenever he does get an opportunity, which is expected to come at some point.
The reality is Watson has never played in more than seven games in a season with the Browns since they acquired him in 2022. Between suspension and injury, every season has been cut short for Watson in Cleveland, and the quarterbacks behind him have to be prepared to step in.
Now it’s on Sanders to stay locked in and be ready to play against Jacksonville on the road if the Browns need him. Time will tell how long Watson stays on the field, but the Browns at least have clarity at the backup spot heading into Week 1.
It never really made sense for the Browns to go in a different direction since Sanders was the runner up in the QB competition, and they indeed won’t.
