Browns coach says quarterback starter plans for preseason remain tentative

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken addressed speculation about the team’s quarterback lineup during a Wednesday press conference. He responded to a report that said either Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders would start the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears on Aug. 15 and the other would start the following game against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 22.

Monken said the report did not capture the full context, noting that both quarterbacks are expected to play in the preseason and that the decision on who starts will depend on the ongoing competition. > "If it’s still a competition at that time, why wouldn’t you start one and start the other and then we would go from there," he explained, adding that the timing of a definitive starter decision is still far off.

He indicated that Watson and Sanders will continue to rotate with the first-team offense while the competition persists, and he did not provide a specific timeline for selecting a permanent starter. The implication is that both players could see starting roles in upcoming preseason games, but no firm schedule has been set.