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Browns make big Shedeur Sanders announcement for Week 9 amid Deshaun Watson's injury

Browns make big Shedeur Sanders announcement for Week 9 amid Deshaun Watson's injury image

Patrick Gorski/Imagn Images via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Browns are heading into their Week 9 matchup with a 5-3 record, looking to keep pace with the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North.

But thanks to Deshaun Watson landing in concussion protocol, there is some uncertainty at the quarterback position for this upcoming game against the New Orleans Saints.

Todd Monken cleared the air on the QB situation on Friday, as Mary Kat Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that Monken announced Shedeur Sanders will be the team's starting quarterback for Week 9.

Shedeur Sanders announced as Week 9 starter for Browns

"Browns Shedeur Sanders will start at quarterback vs. the Saints, Todd Monken announced," Cabot reports.

This is some major news for the Browns, though it isn't a huge surprise, as a player clearing concussion protocol in the same week they were put on it doesn't happen very often.

Sanders will now get a prime opportunity to prove himself worthy of being the starting quarterback this season. Considering Watson hasn't exactly been playing at a super high level, Sanders could make a real case to keep the starting job in Week 9.

He will go up against a very leaky Saints defense that has allowed plenty of teams to put up very big offensive days.

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With Harold Fannin Jr., Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, Denzel Boston, and KC Concepcion, Sanders has a much better supporting cast this season than he did for much of last year.

The Browns will start Sanders, even though Watson has yet to be ruled out for Week 9. He hasn't practiced much this week, and even if he does somehow clear concussion protocol, the Browns will roll with Sanders as the starter for one week.

Cleveland could give Sanders the Week 9 and Week 10 start before the team's Week 11 bye, where they could figure out who should be the starting QB for the remainder of the year.

Sanders is the Browns' Week 9 starter against the Saints, which will be his first real chance to play in his second NFL season after a Pro Bowl rookie year.

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