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Die Cleveland Browns halten trotz Deshaun Watsons medizinischer Freigabe an Shedeur Sanders als Starter gegen die New Orleans Saints fest. Sanders erhielt während der Trainingswoche alle Reps mit der ersten Offense; ob Watson am Sonntag als Ersatz bereitsteht, ist noch offen.
Lies den Artikel, um mehr über die folgenden Aspekte zu erfahren:
- Sanders’ Rookie-Bilanz mit sieben Starts, 1.400 Yards, sieben Touchdowns und zehn Interceptions
- Watsons Saisonwerte und die Playoff-Bedeutung der Partie für Cleveland
- Verletzungsausfall von Maliek Collins und Verstärkung durch Sam Kamara
The Cleveland Browns are sticking with their quarterback change: Although Deshaun Watson successfully completed the NFL concussion protocol on Saturday, Shedeur Sanders will start at quarterback against the New Orleans Saints. It will be the 24-year-old’s first NFL start of the 2026 season. Whether Watson will be available as a backup remains unclear.
Head coach Todd Monken announced the decision on Friday. At the time, Watson was still in the concussion protocol and limited in practice.
Then came the surprise development on Saturday: Watson was medically cleared. Cleveland still didn’t change its plan. Sanders is set to lead the Browns’ offense in New Orleans on Sunday.
The young quarterback worked with the first team throughout the practice week. Monken was pleased with his performance, highlighting Sanders’ confidence, command of the offense, and throwing ability.
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Deshaun Watson cleared, but Sanders remains the starter
Watson was injured in Week 8 during the lopsided 27-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In the first quarter, he took helmet-to-helmet contact. The quarterback was then evaluated for a possible concussion and initially cleared to return.
A further evaluation on Monday morning also found no reason to keep him out of the game. But on Monday evening, Watson noticed symptoms, which he reported to the medical staff on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old was placed in the NFL concussion protocol on Wednesday. He missed practice entirely on Wednesday and Thursday.
Watson was allowed to return on a limited basis Friday. However, he only took part in individual drills and did not run plays with the first team.
That was a decisive factor for Monken. Since Sanders had taken every first-team rep during the week of preparation, the head coach didn’t want to change the game plan again at the last minute.
Watson has now completed all the required steps of the concussion protocol, but he is still listed as questionable for game day.
It remains unclear whether he will be on the sideline as the backup against New Orleans. Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green are also available at quarterback for Cleveland.
Shedeur Sanders gets another chance after his rookie season
For Sanders, the decision is an important opportunity to prove himself as an NFL starter once again.
The former Colorado quarterback was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Despite that, he took over as the starting quarterback during his rookie season beginning in Week 12.
Sanders appeared in eight games that year, starting seven. He recorded 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdown passes, and 10 interceptions.
His record as a starting quarterback was three wins and four losses.
This season, Sanders initially found himself behind Watson. So far, he has made only brief appearances in two games.
He completed all three of his pass attempts, but finished with just two yards. He has yet to throw a touchdown this season.
Now the 24-year-old gets his first opportunity to start a game again.
Watson led Cleveland to five wins and three losses in the first eight games of the season. He has completed 65.5 percent of his passes, recording 1,806 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The Browns are third in the AFC North and need more wins to avoid losing ground in the playoff race.
Cleveland will also be without defensive tackle Maliek Collins against New Orleans. He is out with an elbow injury. The Browns have signed Sam Kamara to provide additional depth on defense.
The Saints enter the matchup with two wins and five losses.
The game between the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns kicks off on Sunday, November 8, at 7:00 p.m. German and Austrian time.
For Sanders, it’s a chance to make a case for more playing time. Whether Watson will be available as the backup on Sunday should become clear when the official game-day roster is released.
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FAQ zum Thema
Warum startet Shedeur Sanders gegen die New Orleans Saints?
Sanders absolvierte während der Trainingswoche alle Trainingseinheiten mit der ersten Mannschaft. Trainer Todd Monken wollte den Spielplan nicht kurzfristig ändern, nachdem Watson erst eingeschränkt trainiert hatte.
Darf Deshaun Watson gegen die Saints spielen?
Watson hat das NFL Concussion Protocol abgeschlossen, ist für den Spieltag aber weiterhin als fraglich gelistet. Ob er gegen New Orleans als Ersatzquarterback verfügbar ist, war zunächst unklar.
Wann spielen die Cleveland Browns gegen die New Orleans Saints?
Das Spiel findet am Sonntag, 8. November, um 19:00 Uhr deutscher und österreichischer Zeit statt.
Welche NFL-Statistiken hat Shedeur Sanders bisher?
In seiner Rookie-Saison 2025 kam Sanders in acht Spielen zum Einsatz und startete sieben davon. Er warf für 1.400 Yards, sieben Touchdowns und zehn Interceptions; in dieser Saison absolvierte er zuvor drei Pässe für insgesamt zwei Yards.
