We’re 16 days away from the official start of the NFL regular season and this morning’s football headlines feature the latest Cleveland Browns QB carousel, another preseason injury scare, and the Canadian club that might not win a game this CFL season.
We’ll start with the Ottawa Redblacks, which kicked off Week 12 in the CFL with an impressive touchdown drive, then got dominated the rest of the way in a 46-16 loss to the Montreal Alouettes to fall to 0-10 this season.
This morning, the Redblacks are in the news again.
Last week, I told you Ottawa is the easiest fade in the CFL.
Now the FanDuel traders are daring us to bet on it with a market for the Redblacks to produce the first 0-18 season in CFL history at +1500.
Next up, Ottawa will host Nathan Rourke and the streaking BC Lions, which have won four in a row and are now just one game back of the Saskatchewan Roughriders for second place in the West Division.
The Redblacks are +185 to win that game outright.
I’m on the Lions to win and cover as a 4.5-point favourite.
Meanwhile, the NFL preseason wraps up this week and fantasy football league managers that already drafted are just hoping they don’t lose a star to injuries following another scare on Sunday.
Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, who had to be helped off the practice field following a collision with a teammate, is believed to have sprained his ankle according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Jeanty is one of a handful of key building blocks on a roster that is under construction following the arrival of first-year head coach Klint Kubiak and his staff.
2026 first overall pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza is expected to learn behind veteran Kirk Cousins, but the Raiders offensive line remains a work in progress, Brock Bowers has dealt with knee issues, and Jeanty will be a big part of the team’s identity this season and beyond.
Sticking with the identity theme, Browns first-year head coach Todd Monken named Deshaun Watson his starting quarterback for Week 1 of the regular season.
Cleveland’s quarterback carousel has become somewhat of an annual tradition.
The Browns QB decision might not determine many wins and losses, but the choice should have been an obvious one, so it’s disappointing that they got it wrong again.
Let’s dive into Cleveland’s QB situation in this Morning Coffee column for Monday August 24th, 2026.
Browns Double Down On Worst Possible QB Decision
The Browns drafted Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Mayfield played four seasons in Cleveland.
Since his exit in 2022, the Browns have featured 10 different starting quarterbacks.
This morning, Monken named his 2026 Week 1 starter.
Jacoby Brissett, Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P.J. Walker, Jeff Driskel, Jameis Winston, Bailey Zappe, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel have all made at least one start for the Browns.
A year ago, Cleveland entered training camp with Flacco, Sanders, Gabriel, and Kenny Pickett on its roster.
Pickett was traded to the Raiders for a fifth-round pick in August, leaving Flacco as the Week 1 starting QB ahead of the rookies Sanders and Gabriel.
Sanders and Gabriel struggled with efficiency in limited snaps throughout their debut NFL seasons, re-opening the door for Watson, who missed the entire 2025 NFL season after he re-ruptured his right Achilles.
This summer, the Browns entered training camp with Watson, Sanders, Gabriel and rookie sixth-round pick Taylen Green competing at the quarterback position.
Watson went 11-of-15 for 126 yards in a 34-10 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 1 of the preseason.
Sanders and Gabriel went a combined 11-of-19 for 102 yards with two interceptions.
The FanDuel traders adjusted their odds for Cleveland’s Week 1 starting QB, with Watson emerging as the obvious favourite at -400 odds.
Sanders was the second choice to be the Browns starting QB at +290, with Gabriel a distant third choice at +7000.
Then came Saturday’s 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 of the preseason.
Watson went 5-of-12 for 36 yards and an interception.
Sanders went 9-of-11 for 74 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
More importantly, Browns fans booed Watson in his first NFL game action in Cleveland since the 2024 season.
After the game, Watson addressed their reaction.
The combination of a poor performance on the field and his comments off it led to another adjustment in FanDuel’s market for Cleveland’s Week 1 starting QB.
While Watson remained the favourite, his odds to be the Browns Week 1 starting QB climbed from -400 to -196.
Sanders’ odds to be Cleveland’s Week 1 starting QB were cut from +290 to +150.
Monken confirmed that the fan reaction and Watson’s comments ultimately wouldn’t impact his decision.
Unfortunately, he still got it wrong.
Neither Watson nor Sanders nor Gabriel has proved they deserve to be a starting NFL quarterback in 2026.
However, playing Sanders would give the organization real evaluation data under their first-year head coach, with some new weapons and potentially improved offensive line play.
Continuing to circle back to Watson keeps the franchise in a dead-money, low-ceiling limbo that has already set them back three seasons.
The contract, injury history, and off-field revelations should make this an obvious choice for the Browns.
The sooner they commit to the 24-year-old Sanders, the sooner the proper evaluation process can commence, giving us all a longer look at the 2025 fifth-round pick.
If Sanders and Gabriel aren’t long-term solutions, then the QB carousel in Cleveland can continue to spin next spring in the 2027 NFL Draft.
There’s no reason for the Browns to delay the inevitable.
Unfortunately, Monken opted to go with Watson as his starter against the Jacksonville Jaguars Week 1, which means Cleveland’s QB carousel will continue with the worst possible option to start the season.
