The Cleveland Browns are scheduled to take on the New Orleans Saints in Week 9 with the goal of advancing to a 6-3 record amid the club's surprisingly hot start. With Deshaun Watson dealing with a concussion, head coach Todd Monken is turning to Shedeur Sanders to lead the offense on Sunday.
Sanders, who started seven games in his rookie year, is set to get his first start of the 2026-27 campaign. On Saturday, a hype video featuring the 24-year-old quarterback was shared on social media and is sure to get Browns fans excited.
Before the start of the season, Sanders was the fan favorite pick to win the starting job. However, Watson won the role outright in training camp and the preseason, impressing Monken along the way. Since then, the Browns find themselves in the middle of the playoff race in the AFC North, with the eight-year veteran totaling 1,806 passing yards and seven touchdowns while completing 65.5% of his pass attempts.
While Shedeur Sanders is set to start, Deshaun Watson is not ruled out for Sunday's game. Well, not yet, at least. The three-time Pro Bowler cleared concussion protocol and is deemed questionable for the Browns' matchup against the Saints. He still has a chance to at least serve as the backup behind Sanders.
This will be Sanders' 11th NFL game, and his eighth career start. The former fifth-round pick has appeared in two games for the Browns this year, but hasn't had many opportunities to throw the ball (three passes with three completions for two yards). In his career so far, Sanders has recorded 1,402 passing yards for seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a 57.2% completion percentage.