{"id":1849,"section":"sports","section_label":"Sports","url":"https://www.brokenews.co/sports/1849","headline":"Browns place Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol","dek":"Shedeur Sanders could get the start in Week 9 against the Saints with Watson's status uncertain.","body":"Deshaun Watson is in the concussion protocol, the Browns announced Wednesday morning, putting his availability for Sunday's game against the Saints in doubt.\n\nThe team said Watson took a helmet-to-helmet hit in the first quarter of Sunday's loss to the Steelers. An ATC spotter flagged the hit, and the Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant administered a gameday concussion evaluation. Watson was cleared and returned for Cleveland's next offensive series.\n\nPer the Browns' statement, the team's medical staff evaluated Watson again after the game and on Monday morning. He showed no symptoms and passed both evaluations. He was then placed in the protocol on Tuesday morning.\n\nWith Watson's status uncertain, Shedeur Sanders is positioned for a potential start against New Orleans, a chance to see extended work after limited snaps so far this season.","published_at":"2026-11-04T17:51:44.237427+00:00","source_count":7,"written_from":[{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Browns announce Deshaun Watson is in concussion protocol","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/browns-announce-deshaun-watson-concussion-144503362.html"},{"outlet":"ESPN","publisher":"ESPN","title":"Browns QB Watson in concussion protocol; status vs. Saints unclear","url":"https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/50378819/browns-qb-watson-concussion-protocol-status-vs-saints-unclear"},{"outlet":"The Athletic","publisher":"The Athletic","title":"Browns place Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol; Shedeur Sanders could start vs. Saints","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7753074/2026/11/04/deshaun-watson-concussion-protocol-browns-nfl/"},{"outlet":"New York Post","publisher":"New York Post","title":"Deshaun Watson placed in concussion protocol in potential Shedeur Sanders opportunity","url":"https://nypost.com/2026/11/04/sports/deshaun-watson-placed-in-concussion-protocol-shedeur-sanders-could-start/"},{"outlet":"Pro Football Talk","publisher":"NBC Sports","title":"Browns announce Deshaun Watson is in concussion protocol","url":"https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/browns-announce-deshaun-watson-is-in-concussion-protocol"}],"more_coverage":[{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Browns place Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol, unclear if Shedeur Sanders will start Week 9","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/breaking-news/article/browns-place-deshaun-watson-in-concussion-protocol-unclear-if-shedeur-sanders-will-start-week-9-144118697.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Browns to make Shedeur Sanders decision after unfortunate Deshaun Watson injury","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/browns-shedeur-sanders-decision-unfortunate-144936202.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol. Shedeur Sanders could start as Browns QB","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/deshaun-watson-concussion-protocol-shedeur-144839709.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Shedeur Sanders in line to start Week 9 as Browns place Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/shedeur-sanders-line-start-week-144945391.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Browns' Deshaun Watson enters concussion protocol ahead of Week 9","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/browns-deshaun-watson-enters-concussion-150129639.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Browns preparing to start Shedeur Sanders at QB against Saints","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/browns-preparing-start-shedeur-sanders-145533044.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/deshaun-watson-concussion-protocol-151655596.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Browns QB Deshaun Watson enters concussion protocol before Saints game","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/browns-qb-deshaun-watson-enters-153811200.html"},{"outlet":"CBS Sports","publisher":"CBS Sports","title":"Browns' Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol: Shedeur Sanders potentially in line to start Week 9 at Saints","url":"https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/browns-deshaun-watson-concussion-protocol-shedeur-sanders-week-9-saints/"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Browns QB Watson enters concussion protocol after symptoms surfaced, Sanders could go against Saints","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/browns-qb-watson-enters-concussion-160641695.html"},{"outlet":"Fox Sports","publisher":"Fox Sports","title":"Browns QB Deshaun Watson In Concussion Protocol; Will Shedeur Sanders Start?","url":"https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/deshaun-watson-concussion-injury-update-browns-shedeur-sanders"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"KC Concepcion: Browns are confident, getting Shedeur Sanders ready for Sunday","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kc-concepcion-browns-confident-getting-164748165.html"},{"outlet":"Pro Football Talk","publisher":"NBC Sports","title":"KC Concepcion: Browns are confident, getting Shedeur Sanders ready for Sunday","url":"https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/kc-concepcion-browns-are-confident-getting-shedeur-sanders-ready-for-sunday"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"What can Shedeur Sanders do for the Browns offense that Deshaun Watson couldn't?","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/shedeur-sanders-browns-offense-deshaun-171119892.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"‘Mocked a Player Who Was Sent for a Concussion Check’ — NFL Analyst Takes Issue With Steelers DB’s Comments After Hit on Deshaun Watson","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mocked-player-sent-concussion-check-180435052.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Browns Suffer Major Blow after Loss to Steelers","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/browns-suffer-major-blow-loss-180831806.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Why it took Deshaun Watson so long to enter concussion protocol","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-took-deshaun-watson-long-181535616.html"}],"image":{"url":"https://nbcsports.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f5a444e/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1920x1080+0+0/resize/1920x1080!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhdliveextra-a.akamaihd.net%2FHD%2Fimage_sports%2FNBCU_Sports_Group_-_nbcsports%2F595%2F15%2Fnbc_pft_shedeur_261104.jpg","credit":"Pro Football Talk","width":1920},"embed":null,"license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","attribution":"Analysis data is licensed CC BY 4.0. Credit brokenews and link to the story page you took it from. Source headlines, story titles taken from a source headline, and quoted passages remain the property of their publishers and are quoted for comparison, not licensed onward.","terms":"https://www.brokenews.co/about#reuse"}