Team news: Cleveland Browns

Shedeur Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first NFL start since 1995 on Sunday and he’ll get a chance to make it two in a row in Week 13.

Related players: Dillon Gabriel

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced on Monday that Sanders will start against the 49ers. It will be Sanders’ first home start. The story added that Gabriel has cleared protocol, but the team is going with Sanders.

Browns QB Shedeur Sanders will start Sunday vs the Raiders.

Related Players: Dillon Gabriel

The news here is that it truly can't get any worse than Week 11. Sanders completed four of his sixteen pass attempts while floating into two sacks and an interception. He can be ignored in SuperFlex leagues.

Browns rookie QB Dillon Gabriel remains in concussion protocol.

Related players: Shedeur Sanders, Bailey Zappe

The post added that HC Kevin Stefanski said he will provide an update on Wednesday as it pertains to how the team is handling preparations for the Raiders. We all know by now it's tough for a player to clear protocol for the following week, so there is a pretty good chance Gabriel won't be able to play in Week 12. That means, Sanders would be in line to get his first start. Sanders should get a lot more reps this week to get him prepared for the Raiders, but it will be worth monitoring this week.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski at least opened the door a crack that quarterback Deshaun Watson could be designated for return to practice this week.

Stefanski was asked on a Nov. 10 Zoom call about the possibility of Watson's 21-day practice window being opened this week, and his response was, "I'm not sure if that's what we're doing." Previously when he's been asked that question, including last week, he's answered with a definitive "no."

Related players: Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders

The story added Watson has been on the PUP list since the start of training camp recovering from an Achilles injury and he's been involved in meetings and other behind-the-scenes aspects of the team, but hasn't been cleared to begin practicing. Watson had surgery in both October of last year and this past January. Watson's injury happened on Oct. 7 of last season and the story went on to say it was expected to be a seven- to eight-month recovery before being reset by the second surgery in January. The story added Browns have refused to get pinned down to a firm timetable for his return and that Watson's been out of a walking boot for several months.

The Browns activated WR Cedric Tillman from injured reserve.

Tillman is good to go for Sunday’s game against the Jets. Tillman has been out since injuring his hamstring back in September against the Lions. Tillman has talent but we know the quarterback situation has not good all that great so far. Tillman will face a new-look Jets secondary that just traded Sauce Gardner to the Colts.

Kevin Stefanski expects Cedric Tillman to play Sunday.

Shedeur Sanders will be the #2 QB.

Harold Fannin is questionable with a hamstring injury.

Related Players: David Njoku, Jerry Jeudy, Jamari Thrash

It's probably best to avoid this Browns WR room wherever possible, but we've been getting plenty of good production out of the tight ends.

If Fannin were to miss, Njoku should be considered a low-end TE1.

Browns DE Isaiah McGuire (illness) returned to practice today.

Didn’t see LB Carson Schwesinger (ankle), TE Harold Fannin Jr., and WR Isaiah Bond (foot).

Related Players: David Njoku

This isn't a great sign coming out of the bye, particularly after Fannin popped up for his third double-digit fantasy performance of the year in Week 8. If he ends up being cleared, we should consider him a fringe TE1/2 option, but if he were to miss, Njoku should be started everywhere in a very winnable game.

For the second year in a row, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is giving up play-calling to his offensive coordinator.

Coming out of the bye, Stefanski announced in his Monday press conference that Tommy Rees will take over offensive play-calling moving forward.

Related players: Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders

Stefanski said the bye week allowed him to look at things, and he felt like Rees gives the offense a good chance to improve. “I just felt like it was the right time for this,” Stefanski said. The story added Gabriel will remain the starting QB.

Quinshon Judkins out there and participating.

When we last saw Judkins he left his Week 8 game early with a shoulder injury, but was given a day to day tag following that contest. It's great news Judkins is back at practice leading up to this week's game, and we'll certainly keep an eye on Wednesday's injury report. The Browns are traveling to play the Jets in Week 10.

Coming off their Week 9 bye, the Browns are getting a player back on the field.

Cleveland announced the club has opened the 21-day practice window for receiver Cedric Tillman.

Related players: Jerry Jeudy, Isaiah Bond, Jamari Thrash

Tillman has been out since suffering a hamstring injury against Detroit in Week 4. He has caught 11 passes for 106 yards with a pair of touchdowns so far this season, the story said. Tillman should jump right back in as the team's WR2 behind Jeudy and slide Bond and Thrash down the depth chart.