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Deshaun Watson to start first preseason game against Bears CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Deshaun Watson will start the Browns first preseason game this Saturday in Chicago. Shedeur Sanders will start the second game of the preseason at home against the Bills on August 22. Head coach Todd Monken said he hopes that Watson will play for the first half, with Sanders getting to play in the third quarter. The plan is for the other starters to get at least one series, with others possibly getting a quarter of action. “I have my reasons for how it’s going to go, and it’s still a competition,” Monken said. “We’re excited to watch guys practice today, let alone on Saturday, and then next week against Buffalo, and we’ll get a chance to see them both. Every week we’ll assess it. It’ll be a little bit more difficult with the player that doesn’t play as much this week or the other quarterbacks, right? We’ll be able to assess the quarterback that started and how he played and when the other quarterbacks came in and then the opposite will be next week against Buffalo.” Watson and Sanders have been alternating reps with the first team throughout the first three weeks of training camp. Ahead of the first preseason game, Monken noted that he’s seen a lot of positives out of Watson’s game. “I’ve seen a lot of really good things over the course of the four or five months I’ve been here,” Monken said. “I think he’s done a lot of really good things athletically, making plays that we’re going to get a chance to see, because we’re not live. We’ll see if that comes to play when we get out there and go.” Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.