Deshaun Watson cleared concussion protocol on Saturday, but the Browns kept him listed as questionable to play against the Saints in New Orleans on Sunday.
Head coach Todd Monken announced on Friday that Shedeur Sanders would start under any circumstances and the Browns announced on Sunday morning that Watson is inactive. Dillon Gabriel will serve as the backup to Sanders with rookie Taylen Green serving as the emergency third quarterback.
Watson should be ready to go for the Browns’ Week 10 game against the Texans, although a big day for Sanders could lead to Monken having to make a decision about which way to go in the team’s final game before their bye week.
Browns at Saints
Browns: QB Deshaun Watson, QB Taylen Green, LB Justin Jefferson, CB Noah Igbinoghene, C Parker Brailsford≤ DT Maliek Collins
Saints: QB Zach Wilson, S Mike Reid, RB C.J. Donaldson, DL Christen Miller, LB Jaylan Ford, OL Mason Murphy, DL John Ridgeway
Broncos at Panthers
Broncos: QB Sam Ehlinger, S Talanoa Hufanga, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, S Brandon Jones, CB Kris Abrams-Draine, OL Kage Casey, TE Dallen Bentley
Panthers: LB Jaelan Phillips, QB Haynes King, CB Will Lee, RB AJ Dillon, LB Bobby Okereke, G Damien Lewis, DT TeRah Edwards
Cowboys at Colts
Cowboys: LB DeMarvion Overshown, WR George Pickens, WR KaVontae Turpin, CB Joey Porter Jr., LB Tyrus Wheat, OL Ajani Cornelius, TE Luke Schoonmaker.
Colts: S A.J. Haulcy, CB Justin Walley, TE Pharaoh Brown, LB Akeem Davis-Gaiters, OL Charlie Heck, TE Will Mallory, QB Riley Leonard
Jets at Chiefs
Jets: WR Garrett Wilson, WR Tim Patrick, CB Nahshon Wright, LB Joseph Ossai, LB Trevon Wallace, OL Kohl Levao, OL Blake Freeland
Chiefs: CB Mansoor Delane, QB Garrett Nussmeier, FB Ben VanSumeren, DE Jack Pyburn, OT Diego Pounds, DT Peter Woods
Lions at Dolphins
Lions: CB D.J. Reed, DE DJ Wonnum, C Cade Mays, RB Jacob Saylors, TE Jordan Meeks, DL Mekhi Wingo, DE Ahmed Hassanein
Dolphins: RB Jaylen Wright, WR Jalen Tolbert, TE Justin Joly, G Christian Haynes, OL Chukwuebuka Godrick, CB Marcellas Dial, CB Reese Taylor
Giants at Eagles
Giants: RB Cam Skattebo, CB Colton Hood, CB Nikko Reed, OL Marcus Mbow, TE Thomas Fidone, OL Josh Sills, DT C.J. Okoye
Eagles: WR DeVonta Smith, LB Jihaad Campbell, WR Dontayvion Wicks, CB Jonathan Jones, DB Michael Carter, WR Britain Covey
Rams at Commanders
Rams: CB Trent McDuffie, QB Ty Simpson, LS Joe Cardona, LB Darryl Peterson, OL Bill Murray, OL Keagan Trost, LB Desjuan Johnson
Commanders: WR Treylon Burks, QB Athan Kaliakmanis, CB Fabian Moreau, CB Isaac Yiadom, G Tanoa Togiai
Saints Clips
When the Saints host the Browns on Sunday, New Orleans defensive end Cam Jordan will reach a rare milestone.
The Week 9 game will be Jordan’s 250th. Via NBC Sports research, Jordan will become only the third defensive player in NFL history to play 250 or more games with the same team.
The others are Darrell Green, who played 295 games for Washington from 1983 through 2002, and Jim Marshall, who played 270 games for the Vikings from 1961 through 1979.
Jordan, the son of former Vikings tight end Steve Jordan, was a first-round pick in 2011. His dad played in 176 games from 1982 through 1994.
Cam is an eight-time Pro Bowler, with 132.0 career sacks. He’s currently 22nd on the all-time list.
The Saints offense will be getting a couple of reinforcements for Sunday’s game against the Browns.
They announced that they have activated left tackle Kelvin Banks and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson from injured reserve. Banks has been out since suffering an ankle injury in Week 2 and Tyson has yet to play this season due to a hamstring injury. Tyson was a first-round pick this season, so Sunday’s game will be his NFL debut.
As previously reported, the Saints released running back Kendre Miller in a corresponding move. They also released tight end Treyton Welch.
Kicker Charlie Smyth and running back Zamir White have been elevated from the practice squad on a temporary basis.
The Saints, on the last day before their first game since Week 7, have made a change.
Via Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football, the Saints have waived running back Kendre Miller.
Miller arrived as a third-round pick (71st overall) out of TCU in 2023. He has 184 career carries for 656 yards, a per-carry average of 3.56 yards. He also has 29 career catches for 217 yards.
The Saints presumably tried to trade Miller but found no takers. He’ll now go to waivers. If he clears waivers, he’ll become a free agent.
Travis Etienne, who arrived in free agency, remains on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. The Saints currently have Alvin Kamara, C.J. Donaldson, and Audric Estimé on the depth chart. Estimé arrived recently on waivers from the Browns.
The 2-5 Saints host the 5-3 Browns on Sunday. The Saints hope to avoid their first 0-4 start at home since 1980 (not including the “home” game in Paris). That year, the Saints went 0-8 at home.
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson won’t be starting Sunday’s game against the Saints, but he could be active as Shedeur Sanders’s backup.
The Browns announced on Saturday that Watson, who returned to practice Friday, has cleared concussion protocol. He is still listed as questionable to be available on Sunday, however.
Browns head coach Todd Monken announced Sanders will start on Friday, but declined to say whether Watson will be active as the No. 2. Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green are both on the 53-man roster and could serve in that role.
The Browns also announced that they have signed defensive lineman Sam Kamara to the active roster and that they have elevated tight end Carsen Ryan from the practice squad for the game in New Orleans.
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.
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.
