The Cleveland Browns are going back to their veteran. Head coach Todd Monken confirmed on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, that Deshaun Watson will return as the Browns’ starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans at Huntington Bank Field, kicking off at 1 p.m. ET.
Watson missed Cleveland’s overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints after suffering a concussion. He cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol before that game but remained inactive, opening the door for Shedeur Sanders to make his first start of the 2026 season.
Sanders made his case
Sanders did not waste the opportunity. He finished 19 of 31 for 297 yards and two touchdowns without an interception as the Browns fell 23-22 in overtime — a performance that put the starting job firmly back in the spotlight.
Monken had stopped short of naming a starter on Monday, saying only that he was “awfully proud” of Sanders. But by Wednesday the decision was made: Watson, who has completed 65.5 per cent of his passes for 1,806 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions this season, gets the job back.
A remarkable comeback story
Watson’s return to the lineup is a story in itself. He had not played a regular-season game since tearing his Achilles in October 2024 and missed all of 2025 after two surgeries. This season he guided Cleveland to a 5-3 start, with a league-high five game-winning drives, before the concussion sidelined him. The Browns now sit at 5-4.
Sunday against Houston will be Watson’s first game back, and the Browns need him sharp. The Texans are no soft landing, and with Sanders waiting in the wings after a 297-yard debut, the leash may be shorter than it once was.
The quarterback carousel kept spinning across the league this week — Kirk Cousins returned to Minnesota in the biggest deal of the NFL trade deadline — while the college game crowned a new No. 1 in Georgia.
Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.