Shedeur Sanders Reacts To A Possible Start Against Saints

Cleveland Browns fans who have been clamoring to see Shedeur Sanders may finally get their wish on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints since Deshaun Watson is still going through concussion protocol. Watson briefly left last Sunday’s loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a potential concussion before coming back in and finishing the game, but he’ll now have to go through the proper procedures to clear protocol ahead of this Sunday.

You would think that Watson would be fine since he finished the game, but he showed up to camp on Tuesday showing concussion symptoms, so he is in the protocol until further notice. Head coach Todd Monken hasn’t ruled Watson out for Sunday, but his comments suggested that it’s tougher for a quarterback to work through the concussion protocol than other positions, so the door is certainly open for Sanders to start his first game.

While speaking with the media on Wednesday, Sanders didn’t hide his excitement about potentially getting to play on Sunday.

“Last year, I’d say I was able to see what I needed to see, feel different things during the games and understand what I need to get better at, so then going into this offseason, we worked on that. Overall, I’m just excited for the opportunity,” Sanders said.

“Overall, I’m just excited for the opportunity,” – Shedeur Sanders on potentially starting against the Saints. pic.twitter.com/VyVnzRNrW4

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) November 4, 2026

These aren’t the circumstances most thought it would take to get to Sanders’ first start of the season, but Watson has been pretty good over the first eight games and doesn’t sound as if he’ll miss more than a game or two, if that. With the Browns at 5-3, there’s likely not a path for Sanders to usurp him as the starter even if he plays well.

Regardless, it will be helpful to see him play to help evaluate his development and get a better idea of what’s next at the quarterback position for this organization. Sanders could still be in the mix to be the starter next year if Watson leaves and this is a perfect opportunity for him to show some improvement against a lowly 2-5 Saints team that is 0-4 at home.

With the offense struggling to consistently put up points lately, perhaps some fresh legs can help light a fire under everyone. New Orleans is giving up just under 30 points per game at home this season, so we’ll see if Sanders can get to that number if he fills in for Watson on Sunday.