The Cleveland Browns open their preseason at Soldier Field on Aug. 15 against the Chicago Bears, with the quarterback battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders emerging as one of the biggest storylines of training camp.
It begs the question: will Shedeur Sanders play on Saturday — and what does his preseason debut mean for the latest NFL odds?
Will Shedeur Sanders play on Saturday?
Yes, Shedeur Sanders will play Saturday, but he won't start against Chicago.
Deshaun Watson will get the first look, with Sanders taking over under center for the remainder of the game. Head coach Todd Monken also announced this week that Sanders will get the start in the Browns' second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills next weekend.
Heading into the weekend, neither Browns quarterback has exactly lit up training camp... to put it nicely.
Browns QBs through 5 training camp practices, per @ESPNCleveland:
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) August 3, 2026
Shedeur Sanders: 72-of-107, 6 TD, 1 INT
Deshaun Watson: 71-of-115, 3 TD, 6 INT
Dillon Gabriel: 40-of-58, 3 TD, 3 INThttps://t.co/oFgMok3Sm1 pic.twitter.com/HaCxceOujg
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Cleveland's ongoing QB carousel
Over at Kalshi, Shedeur Sanders currently carries a 26% chance of starting Week 1. However, Watson's injury history and lack of game action should create opportunities for Sanders to see significant playing time at several points this season.
Sanders started seven games as a rookie in 2025 but struggled, finishing with a 68.1 passer rating, throwing seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing only 56.6% of his throws.
It’s very much a four-horse race under center in Cleveland, with Dillon Gabriel and rookie dual-threat QB Taylen Green also in the mix.
Our Browns/Bears best bet: Bears +3.5
Rob Paul expects the decision to start Watson to backfire early, and we're taking the value on the Bears getting points at home.
"At this point, Deshaun Watson isn't a QB worth believing in, even in the preseason. Monken said the former Pro Bowler will play the first half, but this will be his first action since 2024, when he tore and re-ruptured his Achilles. He's been unplayable in Cleveland, with nearly as many turnover-worthy plays (18) as TD passes (19)."
Make sure to check out Rob's full Browns vs. Bears predictions, and more expert plays throughout the preseason, dive into our latest NFL picks.
