Cleveland Browns: Todd Monken Chooses Deshaun Watson Over Shedeur Sanders
Deshaun Watson will start at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns when they face the Jacksonville Jaguars Week 1, according to multiple reports.
It's the biggest decision Head Coach Todd Monken has made in his first season on the job, and to say it's creating a buzz would be an understatement.
Many thought Shedeur Sanders would be given the nod over Watson after developments over the weekend. Watson struggled mightily during a Saturday preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills (5-for-12, 35 yards, one interception), then lashed out at Browns fans after the game for booing him.
However, Sanders also had an inconsistent preseason and will now begin the season as the No. 2 quarterback behind Watson, who has been a polarizing figure in Cleveland since he arrived in 2022.
Cleveland signed Watson to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct. Two Texas grand juries declined to pursue criminal charges, but the NFL gave Watson an 11-game suspension to begin his tenure in Cleveland.
The 30-year-old Watson has not come close to regaining the form he displayed early in his career with the Houston Texans, when he led the league in passing yards in 2020. Due to suspension and injuries, Watson has played just 19 games in four seasons with Cleveland.
Yet Monken, who spent the past three seasons as the Ravens' offensive coordinator, has not given up on Watson. Monken also said that Watson's comments on Saturday when he called Cleveland's fans "disrespectful" for booing him would not factor into the decision on who would start Week 1.
"He emptied his heart a little bit, and I don't think that says who he is," Monken said via Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com. "I see the competitor in him. I see the everyday work he puts in, and he wants to be back. He wants to get back to where he was as best he can, and that's hard. And again, I think the moment just got him after the game, and it can get all of us."
With the decision at quarterback made, the Browns will try to block out the noise and move forward. Their first two regular season games are on the road at Jacksonville and then at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before returning home to face the Carolina Panthers in Week 3.
Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow Is 'Tired of Saying Next Year'
It's only August, but Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is preaching Super Bowl or bust.
The Bengals have missed the playoffs the past three seasons, but Burrow is helping, and the Bengals have revamped their defense. He's entering 2026 with a win-now mentality and is prodding teammates to do the same.
"You can keep pushing it down the road or you can talk about it now and say this is the year," Burrow said via Ben Baby of ESPN.com. "You know, I'm tired of saying, 'Next year, next year, next year.' This is it.
"Your life is too short to keep pushing things down the road. I'm trying to instill some urgency and some intensity in everybody to go and be great every day and try to make it happen."
Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and defensive end Myles Murphy stood out during joint practices with the Chicago Bears last week, giving the Bengals more belief that their retooled defense is legit. But Burrow doesn't plan to let his teammates get complacent.
"I'm trying to show our guys the urgency that I have and that I want us to have as an organization to go and make it happen," Burrow said.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Will Steelers Carry Four Quarterbacks on 53-Man Roster?
The Steelers were shut out, 17-0, by the New York Jets in Week 2 of the preseason, and Pittsburgh's young quarterbacks Drew Allar and Will Howard both struggled.
However, Pittsburgh plans to keep Allar and Howard on the 53-man roster, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Allar was a third-round pick this year, so his roster spot is safe. The Steelers haven't seen much game action from Howard, who missed part of his rookie season in 2025 with a hand injury.
Aaron Rodgers is the unquestioned starter for the Steelers, but it remains uncertain how the rest of the quarterback room will stack up. Veteran quarterback Mason Rudolph didn't play against the Jets, and it remains to be seen if Rudolph is released, kept on the 53-man roster, traded, or signed to the practice squad.
