Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders said Wednesday that a blister on his throwing hand, which developed during offseason throwing sessions, has fully healed ahead of the team’s preseason opener.
Sanders addressed the matter to clear up any lingering questions about his availability and performance in training camp. He noted the problem arose simply from increased throwing volume as he prepared for his second NFL season.
“No, that happened this past offseason getting back into it, just from throwing a lot,” Sanders said. “Honestly, that’s where it came from. And it’s all healed up now. But that was a thing, I would say, at the start of training camp and everything that we just had to work through and be able to figure out.”
The second-year quarterback has shared first-team practice repetitions with veteran Deshaun Watson throughout camp and has not missed any sessions because of the blister or any other injury. Sanders, selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after a standout college career at Colorado where he threw for a school-record 4,134 yards in his final season, enters this preseason looking to build on limited action as a rookie.
In eight appearances last year, Sanders completed passes for seven touchdowns against 10 interceptions and posted a 68.1 passer rating while the Browns finished 5-12. Those numbers reflect the challenges of adapting to the professional level, yet coaches have praised his arm strength and decision-making in recent practices.
Head coach Todd Monken is expected to tell the quarterbacks Wednesday who will start Saturday’s preseason game against the Chicago Bears. That choice will not decide the regular-season starter, as the Browns intend to evaluate both Sanders and Watson extensively in live game situations.
The plan calls for the designated starter against Chicago to play roughly one half, including a two-minute drill, while the other receives about a quarter of work. Backup options Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green are likely to handle the final stages. Monken has indicated the order will flip for the second preseason contest against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 22.
“I have my reasons for how it’s going to go,” Monken said. “It’s still a competition. We’ll get a chance to see them both.”
This weekend’s game marks Sanders’ first live action of the 2026 season. Monken has emphasized that preseason contests reveal elements of quarterback play that practices cannot fully replicate, such as handling defensive pressure in real time and managing the flow of a full drive.
The Browns are expected to name their Week 1 starter shortly after the Bills game, providing time for the offense to fine-tune preparations ahead of the Sept. 13 regular-season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cleveland’s offensive unit averaged 18.2 points per game last season, ranking near the bottom of the league, underscoring the importance of finding a consistent signal-caller.
Watson, meanwhile, continues his own recovery and adjustment process. The 30-year-old missed the entire 2025 season following a pair of Achilles tendon surgeries and previously underwent throwing-shoulder surgery that limited him to six games in 2023. Across his career, Watson has thrown for more than 20,000 passing yards and recorded a 1-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his early years with the Houston Texans, though injuries have altered his approach.
Watson acknowledged the physical toll has changed aspects of his game while insisting his competitive mindset remains intact.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m different, man,” Watson said. “Ever since I’ve been here early on, I think bringing up Houston was cool, but I’m 30 now. I’ve had some injuries and things like that. So my game has definitely changed, but the mentality and how I play and how I approach it doesn’t.
“So I don’t know. I think just going out there and just playing free and let my instincts just take over. That’s the biggest thing. (Former Texans) coach (Bill) O’Brien always told me, always trust my instincts. So I think that’s the biggest thing is just go out there and play free and let the game come to me.”
Saturday’s matchup against the Bears will offer Watson his first significant test under live pressure since the injuries. NFL data shows that quarterbacks returning from major lower-body surgeries often require multiple preseason outings to regain full mobility and confidence, with recovery timelines varying widely based on individual conditioning.
The competition between Sanders and Watson has drawn attention across the league, particularly given Cleveland’s recent struggles at the position. League-wide, teams that settled their starting quarterback situation by the end of the preseason in recent years posted an average winning percentage roughly 12 percentage points higher than those who delayed the decision into the regular season, according to historical trends tracked by analysts.
Both players have taken first-team snaps in roughly equal measure during camp, with neither missing significant time. Sanders’ blister issue, while minor, highlighted the physical demands of the position; studies of NFL training camps indicate that hand and finger problems affect roughly 15 percent of quarterbacks at some point during the offseason-to-camp transition due to increased volume.
As the Browns prepare for Chicago, the focus remains on gathering as much evaluative data as possible. Monken has stressed patience in the process, noting that preseason performance often provides clearer insights than practice alone.
With the regular season opener just over a month away, the next two weeks of games and joint practices will prove critical in determining who leads the offense into September.
