The Cleveland Browns announced Wednesday morning that starting quarterback Deshaun Watson has been placed in concussion protocol after self-reporting symptoms to the team’s medical staff on Tuesday.
With Watson entering the NFL’s five-step protocol this late in the week, the door is now open for backup Shedeur Sanders to be prepared to start Cleveland’s Week 9 game at New Orleans.
The Browns held onto all four of their quarterbacks this offseason, and that decision is aging well. If Watson misses Sunday’s game, the Browns would likely enter the week with Sanders as the starter, Dillon Gabriel as the backup, and rookie Taylen Green as the emergency QB3.
Watson has not been ruled out, though, and could potentially be cleared in time to be available in some capacity on Sunday. Whether head coach Todd Monken would be willing to let Watson start against the Saints after taking little-to-no practice reps during the week remains to be seen.
This story will be updated throughout the week as news on Watson’s status for Week 9 becomes available.
- Deshaun Watson injury update tracker
- What Todd Monken is saying about Deshaun Watson
- What Todd Monken is saying about Shedeur Sanders
- How the Browns have handled concussions this season
- What Shedeur Sanders starting in Week 9 could mean for the Browns’ QB situation
Deshaun Watson injury update tracker
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 10:30 a.m.: The Cleveland Browns released the following statement on Watson reporting concussion-like symptoms to the team on Tuesday morning:
"During the first quarter of Sunday's game against the Steelers, Deshaun Watson took a helmet-to-helmet hit. The ATC spotter called down to the sideline, and the Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant (UNC) administered a gameday concussion evaluation. Deshaun was cleared by the UNC and returned on the Browns' next offensive series. As part of the protocol, the team's medical staff evaluated him again postgame and Monday morning. Both times he showed no symptoms, passed his evaluations, and was cleared. On Tuesday morning, he reported to the medical staff that he began experiencing concussion symptoms Monday night and was immediately placed in the concussion protocol."
What Todd Monken is saying about Deshaun Watson
Monken is scheduled to speak to the media at 12:05 p.m. EST. This section will be updated with his comments.
What Todd Monken is saying about Shedeur Sanders
Monken is scheduled to speak to the media at 12:05 p.m. EST. This section will be updated with his comments.
How the Browns have handled concussions this season
Cleveland has had a number of players sustain head injuries, work through the NFL’s concussion protocol, and play the following week. KC Concepcion, Grant Delpit, and Tytus Howard are all recent examples; Howard notably did not practice Wednesday through Friday last week but was still cleared in time to play that Sunday against the Steelers.
The only Browns player to miss a game due to a concussion this season is center Elgton Jenkins, who entered the league’s protocol on a Monday. Cleveland played on Thursday Night Football that week, which led to Luke Wypler starting in his place.
This could be a similar tight squeeze for Watson, who essentially has four days to get cleared. It’s unlikely, but not impossible.
This is the five-phase return-to-participation protocol after players are diagnosed with a concussion.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) November 4, 2026
Every Browns player to this point that has suffered a concussion this season has played the following Sunday. But Watson being placed in protocol this late could make it a… pic.twitter.com/A7eJzMtx4n
What Shedeur Sanders starting in Week 9 could mean for the Browns’ QB situation
In a nutshell, this news shouldn’t change much for the Browns in terms of 2026. Watson is firmly entrenched as Cleveland’s starter after leading the team to a 5-3 start. Even if Sanders starts and plays well against the Saints on Sunday, Watson will almost certainly get his job back once he’s deemed healthy.
But this still represents a major opportunity for Sanders to take first-team reps in practice and potentially showcase how far he’s come since 2025, when he started the final seven games of the season.
If Watson were to struggle in the second half of the season, especially during a stretch of four consecutive home games, the heat would begin to rise on Watson if Sanders plays and looks the part on Sunday.
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