New Shedeur Sanders Rumors on QB1 Status as Deshaun Watson Recovers from Concussion for Browns

The Cleveland Browns are turning back to Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback for their next game against the Houston Texans, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler .

Cleveland leaned on Shedeur Sanders as the starter for Sunday's 23-22 overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints after a concussion limited Watson's availability in practice leading up to the game.

Sanders went 19-of-31 for 297 yards and two touchdowns against New Orleans. A big chunk of his overall output (124 yards) came on a pair of completions to Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion.

The second-year signal-caller wasn't perfect but seemingly did enough to warrant another look. Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher was among those lobbying on Sanders' behalf:

In addition to what Sanders put on tape in Week 9, Watson didn't make a compelling argument for himself prior to the concussion. In eight starts, he's averaging 225.8 yards per game and has been sacked 33 times.

The three-time Pro Bowler isn't as sharp as he was during his peak with the Houston Texans, and he looks particularly shaky in the face of pressure.

The Browns are in the thick of the AFC playoff race at 5-4, and coach Todd Monken will be operating with that in mind. He sees the team more than anyone else, so he may have enough evidence to justify sticking with Watson.

But immediately benching Sanders doesn't look like a strong endorsement of the young passer, and this might convince even more fans he has no long-term future in Cleveland.