Browns to start Shedeur Sanders vs. Saints with Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Shedeur Sanders will be the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback for Sunday's game at the New Orleans Saints.

Sanders steps in for Deshaun Watson, who's in the concussion protocol. Watson was on the field for Friday's practice, but did not do any team reps. There is a chance Watson could be cleared on Saturday after being listed as questionable on the injury report.

Coach Todd Monken said that Watson not being able to practice with the team this week made it any easy decision to go with Sanders.

“I liked his confidence and the way he operated. He looked very comfortable in terms of getting our guys in and out of the huddle and I thought he threw the ball extremely well,” Monken said about Sanders.

Sanders was in for four plays last week against Pittsburgh after Watson took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Steelers safety Jaquan Brisker. The second-year quarterback and son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders completed both of his passes for 2 yards.

Watson went back into the game after being cleared by the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant. The 10-year veteran began experiencing concussion symptoms Monday night and was placed in the protocol.

Sanders started the final seven games of his rookie season last year, going 3-4 with seven touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. He showed steady improvement throughout the offseason, but was unable to beat out Watson for the starting spot.

“It was valuable, just tapping back into that memory bank, having those reps and everything,” Sanders said. “That’s why I’m thankful for this whole offseason and everything and just being out there with the guys each and every day, being able to still get some throws in with them. So I don’t think we lost a step.”

Sunday’s game will be a matchup of quarterbacks from the 2025 NFL draft class. The Saints bypassed Sanders and took Tyler Shough with the 40th overall pick. The Browns ended up trading up in the fifth round to select Sanders.

Sanders will face a Saints defense that is 28th in the league overall and 23rd against the pass.

“The offense is going to remain mostly the same but some elements with the quarterback run game that might be different,” New Orleans defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said. “Shedeur has done the same thing. You're seeing a player that has experience.”

Cleveland (5-3) is looking to avoid consecutive losses for the first time this season while New Orleans (2-5) is coming off its bye week.

Browns defensive tackle Maliek Collins, second on the team with 3 1/2 sacks, will miss Sunday's game due to an elbow injury.

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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) greets Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, right, after the Cavaliers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in an NBA basketball game, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki.

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets re-signed pitcher Robert Stock to a one-year contract Friday.

Stock, who turns 37 this month, made seven starts and one relief appearance for the last-place Mets in 2026. He went 1-3 with a 5.93 ERA over 30 1/3 innings during a comeback season.

The right-hander earned his first major league win since 2019 with San Diego when he threw 5 1/3 shutout innings Aug. 31 in a 3-2 victory at Tampa Bay. He was placed on the 15-day injured list Sept. 16, retroactive to Sept. 13, because of numbness in his fingers and didn't pitch the rest of the season.

Stock said he was on medication for the condition, a byproduct of the thoracic outlet syndrome surgery he underwent in March. He said he would usually begin to experience numbness after throwing about 60 or 70 pitches in a game.

Stock has pitched for eight big league organizations as well as in South Korea and Mexico and for the independent Long Island Ducks. He is 3-7 with a 5.20 ERA in 65 major league games, including 10 starts, for the Padres, Red Sox, Cubs and Mets.

In other news, the Mets announced Thursday they will wear a memorial patch on the sleeve of their uniforms in honor of Jerry Koosman next season. Koosman, a two-time All-Star who pitched the 1969 Miracle Mets to a World Series championship, died Sunday at age 83.

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FILE - New York Mets catcher Jerry Grote embraces pitcher Jerry Koosman as Ed Charles, left, joins the celebration after the Mets defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the Game 5 to win baseball's World Series at New York's Shea Stadium on Oct. 16, 1969. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Jerry Koosman, a member of the 1969 New York Mets baseball teamgestures before a pre-game ceremony before the Mets play the Phillies, Aug. 22, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

FILE - Jerry Koosman of the New York Mets makes his last pitch against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 8, 1969. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm, File)

FILE - New York Mets pitcher Robert Stock delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara,File)