With Cleveland heading into a pivotal week that includes a joint practice against Buffalo and Shedeur Sanders’ first preseason start, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN provided Browns fans with a detailed breakdown of exactly how Todd Monken plans to structure practice reps between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.
“The practice schedule this week, according to Monken: Monday, shells (Shedeur with 1s), Tuesday, pads (Deshaun with 1s), Wednesday, shorts (Shedeur w/ 1s), Thursday, joint practice w/ Bills (Shedeur and Deshaun split reps w/ 1s),” Oyefusi wrote.
The practice schedule this week, according to Monken:
Monday – shells (Shedeur with 1s)
Tuesday – pads (Deshaun with 1s)
Wednesday – shorts (Shedeur w/ 1s)
Thursday – joint practice w/ Bills (Shedeur and Deshaun split reps w/ 1s) https://t.co/2oNUgPyThz— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) August 16, 2026
Sanders receiving first team reps during Monday’s session and Wednesday’s practice gives him extended preparation time in lighter, more controlled settings, while Watson’s Tuesday session in full pads offers him valuable physical repetition as he continues building back stamina and rhythm following his extended absence from contact football.
Sanders enters the week with genuine momentum following praise from former quarterback David Carr regarding his improved pocket presence, while Watson continues building on the positive reviews from his own preseason debut against Chicago. Getting extended first-team reps across three separate practice days before officially starting Saturday against the Bills gives Sanders a real opportunity to carry that momentum into a start that could directly precede Cleveland’s eventual decision on a starter.
With so much riding on this stretch of practices and the accompanying joint session against Buffalo, Browns fans can expect plenty of continued scrutiny over every rep distribution detail as this quarterback battle approaches what increasingly appears to be its decisive phase before the regular season begins.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals Why This Week Is Critical For Shedeur Sanders
