The Saints, like all teams, pay attention to the things said by their upcoming opponents.
Earlier this week, Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders seemed to make some less-than-flattering comments about the New Orleans defense. The New Orleans defense heard it, loud and clear.
“We’re gonna come in with a chip on our shoulder, for sure,” Saints defensive end Carl Granderson said Friday. “You know, they been chirping a little bit. We heard what the quarterback . . . said. So, you know, we’re [going to] come in hot and ready to play. . . . It’s gonna be a good game, for sure. We’re gonna come out with the [win].”
Asked Wednesday by reporters whether he has had a chance to study the Saints defense and to explain what he has seen, Sanders flashed a broad smile.
“Yeah, I’ve seen a lot,” Sanders said. “When I smile, just know that means something. I’m maturing. I’m maturing. Like, I could have given a decent answer, but now I’m just going to smile whenever it’s just, like, some questions.”
The better approach for Sanders would have been to project a poker face, and to give an answer that did nothing to attract the attention of the Saints’ defense.
So while he says he’s maturing, the ultimate level of maturity would consist of providing the most vanilla answer possible, praising the Saints and explaining that it will be a major challenge to beat them.
Instead, a Browns player has provided the next opponent — for the second straight week — with a little extra incentive.
Browns Clips
Saints first-round pick Jordyn Tyson could make his regular season debut against the Browns on Sunday, but the team will wait to make a final determination on his status.
Tyson will be listed as questionable to play on Friday’s injury report. The wideout has missed the entire season with a hamstring injury, but returned to practice this week. He’ll need to be activated from injured reserve by Saturday afternoon in order to play against Cleveland.
That’s also true of Kelvin Banks, who has been on injured reserve since suffering an ankle injury in Week 2. Banks opened the season at left tackle and Asim Richards has been filling that slot. Richards is also listed as questionable due to a thumb injury.
Head coach Kellen Moore said that cornerback Martin Emerson (shin) drew a questionable tag as well. Running back CJ Donaldson (shoulder, concussion) has been ruled out.
Deshaun Watson was back on the practice field for the Browns on Friday, but he won’t be starting against the Saints on Sunday.
Browns head coach Todd Monken said at a press conference that Shedeur Sanders will be the starter this weekend. Sanders worked with the first team with Watson out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday and Monken cited that time as the reason to go with him even though Watson could be available Sunday.
Watson is listed as questionable and remains in the concussion protocol. He could clear the protocol on Saturday, but Monken did not commit to him serving as the backup if he is cleared.
Sanders has appeared in two games this season and he’s gone 3-for-3 on his passes, but they’ve only picked up two yards. He started seven games during his rookie season and the Browns went 3-4 in those contests.
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is showing signs of progress in his recovery from a concussion.
Watson was present and working during the portion of Friday’s practice open to the media. It’s the first time he has been on the field since Browns head coach Todd Monken announced he was in the concussion protocol earlier this week.
Watson remains in the protocol and would need to clear it on Saturday to have a chance to play. If he is cleared, Monken would have a choice between Watson or Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders has been preparing for the start all week. If he is in the lineup against New Orleans, it would be his first start of the season.
The Browns added their leading receiver to the injury report on Thursday.
Tight end Harold Fannin was limited in practice with a groin injury. Fannin leads the team with 35 catches and 411 receiving yards so far this season.
One of Fannin’s catches came on a pass from Shedeur Sanders and it looks like Sanders is going to be the quarterback against the Saints this Sunday. Deshaun Watson missed practice with a concussion for the second straight day on Thursday, which leaves little chance that he’ll clear concussion protocol in time to play.
Defensive tackle Maliek Collins (elbow) was also out of practice. Offensive tackle Austin Barber (calf), wide receiver Denzel Boston (calf), safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (hip), linebacker Carson Schwesinger (wrist, ankle), and linebacker Quincy Williams (hamstring) were listed as limited participants.
Cornerback Myles Harden (hamstring), center Elgton Jenkins (knee), and defensive end Jared Verse (knee) were full participants.
Browns defensive end Jared Verse was picked up and thrown to the ground by Steelers guard Mason McCormick on Sunday, and McCormick wasn’t the only person Verse was upset with afterward.
Verse told reporters in Cleveland today that he was upset both by McCormick’s cheap shot and by his teammates’ reaction, or lack thereof. Verse thought the rest of the Browns’ players should have had his back, and didn’t.
“To be quite honest with you, that was the play that made me really angry,” Verse said. “I was already upset about the game, the way things were moving, but at that point it became deep. You’re doing dirty shit, you’re trying to sweep my legs out. That honestly could have put me in a position to not be able to finish the season, put me in a position to change my life in a very bad aspect, so that upset me. The lack of reaction by those around me had upset me a lot. They were focused on the game and everything like that, but a similar play happened to Derek Barnett on the next field goal, and I spazzed, I lost it. Because those are my brothers, those are my teammates, and when you do something like that to them, it upsets me deeply. We have to get better, we have to be aware. These are my teammates, these are my brothers, and we’re not fighting for each other.”
Verse said he addressed his feelings with his teammates. Verse did acknowledge that he brought some of it on himself by the trash talk he was directing at the Steelers, but he still felt that his teammates should have protected him when it escalated from verbal to physical.
“That’s a conversation that we’ve had, we’ve spoken about,” Verse said. “I made my concerns known, I’ve made my issues known about the situation, but also, I didn’t put them in a position to let them know that, I didn’t let them know beforehand I was going to talk to the Steelers and Steeler Nation. I’ve got to be better.”
Verse, the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year who arrived in Cleveland in the trade that sent Myles Garrett to the Rams, has been a disappointment this season. His teammates may be wishing he’d focus a little less on talking trash and getting into altercations on the field, and a little more on sacking the opposing quarterback — something he hasn’t done yet this season.
Bill Belichick fell short of the necessary votes to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026, but he may have another chance in 2027.
The Hall of Fame announced the five coaches who have advanced to the next round of consideration in the current selection process. One of those coaches will be selected for consideration by the full selection committee ahead of the Super Bowl.
Belichick is joined by Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Dan Reeves, and Mike Shanahan. All five coaches also advanced to this point in the selection process last year. This is the fourth time that Holmgren has advanced to this point.
Don Coryell was the last coach selected for the Hall of Fame. He was part of the Class of 2023.
Last month, Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders hired an agent for the first time. It’s a move that invites speculation and curiosity about the reason(s) for doing it, since Sanders won’t be eligible for an adjustment to his contract until the conclusion of the 2027 regular season.
On Wednesday, Sanders spoke to reporters in his capacity as the tentative starter for Week 9, given that Deshaun Watson is in the concussion protocol. Sanders was asked about the decision to hire an agent.
“What’s that have to do with this game?” Sanders said. “I’m focused on this game. Anything else really doesn’t matter at this point.”
That’s fine, but it was a fair question. Especially since the most reasonable conclusion is that he’s thinking about engineering a trade.
Bolstering that perception is the fact that he hired an agent not long after receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. hired an agent — which resulted not long after that in a trade from the Cardinals to the Texans.
While a trade before next week’s deadline is highly unlikely, Sanders could get an opportunity on Sunday to show the rest of the league what he can do. Which could spark trade interest in the offseason.
His performance also becomes a data point for the Browns, who will be making decisions about their own quarterback position after the current season ends. If Sanders thrives, the Browns could decide to give him a chance to be the starter next year, if they don’t re-sign Watson.
The Saints released veteran kicker Daniel Carlson on Tuesday. Coach Kellen Moore confirmed Wednesday that Charlie Smyth will kick for them this week.
Smyth is on the team’s practice squad.
“Yeah, Charlie will kick this week,” Moore said, via video from the team. “Tough decisions. Daniel, he’s made some really good kicks for us. I think just the consistency thing. Just felt like this was the best thing for our football team moving forward. These things are never easy, but Charlie’s done this for us back in the last year, so he’ll be ready to go.”
In his first season with New Orleans, Carlson made just 8-of-12 field goals in seven games. All four misses came on attempts of at least 50 yards. He missed a 52-yard attempt during the fourth quarter of the Saints’ Week 7 loss to the Steelers in Paris.
Smyth, a native of Northern Ireland, went 12-of-16 on field goals in six games for the Saints in 2025.
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is in the concussion protocol after self-reporting symptoms on Tuesday.
Head coach Todd Monken told reporters in his Wednesday press conference that Watson hasn’t necessarily been ruled out for Sunday’s game against New Orleans. But the club is preparing Shedeur Sanders to start.
“What I would say is, credit to Deshaun — after the game, [he] felt fine. Monday night, started feeling a little bit, little bit of a headache, and came in Tuesday and, you know, reported,” Monken said, via transcript from the team. “So, credit to him for someone who really loves playing the game. And so, he is in the protocol. And Shedeur will take the reps today with the ones.”
Monken admitted that it’s “a little more difficult” for a quarterback to play on Sunday after missing practice due to a concussion. But Monken and the team will let the process play out.
“I mean, there’s a long time between now and then, right? I mean, look where the Ravens are at. And you don’t know as the week goes on what could happen,” Monken said. “It’s not ideal, right? It’s not ideal for any player to go through a week and not practice and then play. We know that. But every situation is different.”
Monken noted that Watson can participate in the team’s meetings to help him stay prepared in the event that he gets cleared. The team has been game-planning with the idea that Sanders will start. But Monken said the game plan won’t change much if it’s Sanders or Watson behind center.
“I don’t see the way [it would change], because the rest of the guys are the same, and they’re similar in some ways,” Monken said. “Some things, you know, Shedeur’s skill set is different than Deshaun’s, but still very similar in terms of what we do. We can’t change that dramatically.”
Either way, Watson is expected to still be the starter when he is cleared.
“Yeah, I didn’t assume I’d get that question. Yeah, he’s been our starter for eight games. I would assume he’s still our starter,” Monken said. “I don’t — I’m thinking about Wednesday. But I’m not — I’m really thinking about today and watching Shedeur play today.”
So far this season, Watson has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,806 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s been sacked a league-high 33 times. His eight games this season are the most he’s played in a year for the Browns since arriving on the club in 2022.
Last season, Sanders completed 56.6 percent of his throws for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in eight games with seven starts.
