Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is in the concussion protocol after self-reporting symptoms on Tuesday.
Head coach Todd Monken told reporters in his Wednesday press conference that Watson hasn’t necessarily been ruled out for Sunday’s game against New Orleans. But the club is preparing Shedeur Sanders to start.
“What I would say is, credit to Deshaun — after the game, [he] felt fine. Monday night, started feeling a little bit, little bit of a headache, and came in Tuesday and, you know, reported,” Monken said, via transcript from the team. “So, credit to him for someone who really loves playing the game. And so, he is in the protocol. And Shedeur will take the reps today with the ones.”
Monken admitted that it’s “a little more difficult” for a quarterback to play on Sunday after missing practice due to a concussion. But Monken and the team will let the process play out.
“I mean, there’s a long time between now and then, right? I mean, look where the Ravens are at. And you don’t know as the week goes on what could happen,” Monken said. “It’s not ideal, right? It’s not ideal for any player to go through a week and not practice and then play. We know that. But every situation is different.”
Monken noted that Watson can participate in the team’s meetings to help him stay prepared in the event that he gets cleared. The team has been game-planning with the idea that Sanders will start. But Monken said the game plan won’t change much if it’s Sanders or Watson behind center.
“I don’t see the way [it would change], because the rest of the guys are the same, and they’re similar in some ways,” Monken said. “Some things, you know, Shedeur’s skill set is different than Deshaun’s, but still very similar in terms of what we do. We can’t change that dramatically.”
Either way, Watson is expected to still be the starter when he is cleared.
“Yeah, I didn’t assume I’d get that question. Yeah, he’s been our starter for eight games. I would assume he’s still our starter,” Monken said. “I don’t — I’m thinking about Wednesday. But I’m not — I’m really thinking about today and watching Shedeur play today.”
So far this season, Watson has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,806 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s been sacked a league-high 33 times. His eight games this season are the most he’s played in a year for the Browns since arriving on the club in 2022.
Last season, Sanders completed 56.6 percent of his throws for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in eight games with seven starts.