Deshaun Watson will start the Cleveland Browns' preseason opener against the Bears on Saturday. Shedeur Sanders will start the second game against the Bills on Aug. 22. Browns coach Todd Monken informed the quarterbacks after practice Wednesday.

Watson's start will be his first game since tearing his right Achilles tendon in October 2024. He sat out the 2025 season after a second surgery. Monken said the starter would play one half, with the other quarterback playing the third quarter. Watson has played in only 19 games since being traded to Cleveland in 2022, and his 33.1 QBR would rank last if he qualified.

Sanders, the 144th pick in the 2025 draft, started the final seven games of his rookie season (3-4 record, 7 touchdowns, 10 interceptions). He posted an 18.9 QBR, the fifth-lowest among quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts since 2006. Coaches have praised his pre-snap and post-snap development.