Browns coach Monken isn’t ready to name a starting QB amid the Watson-Sanders battle
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The Cleveland Browns entered last season with one of the most crowded quarterback rooms in the NFL.
Shedeur Sanders took over the starting quarterback duties in Week 12 last season, and after a double-double, he was named the starter for the remainder of the season. Dillon Gabriel moved to the backup position as Deshaun Watson remained on the disabled list, even after the team opened his 21-day practice window in December.
Sanders, Gabriel and Watson are all slated to return in 2026, but it’s unclear which quarterback will be under center when the regular season begins this fall. Browns coach Todd Monken reiterated his stance on keeping the competition open for the starting job, telling Cleveland radio station 92.3 The Fan that it’s too early to name a starter.
“It’s my job to let it play,” Monken said.
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Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns looks on during a veterans volunteer camp at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio, on April 21, 2026. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Monken’s comments on Friday are consistent with his previously stated belief in letting the players decide who plays and giving all parties opportunities as the tournament progresses.
These comments also followed reports that Watson was leading the race for the job. They also came after Shilo Sanders downplayed the report and publicly expressed his support for his brother Shedeur’s QB1 bid.
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Monken, who was hired in January, is expected to introduce a new offensive system in Cleveland. The first-year coach revealed that he prefers one player to separate himself from the team.
The Browns held a three-day voluntary minicamp just before the 2026 NFL Draft. In one open workout open to the media, Watson led the quarterback rotation in most of the drills, but Monken said the program wants Sanders to get more reps overall.
Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken looks on during a volunteer minicamp at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio, on April 21, 2026. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
“I’m not there yet, so I can’t say (there is a leader),” Monken added. “We have been in the field for three days.”
The Browns are scheduled to begin formal team activities (OTAs) in mid-May. The following month, the team will hold a mandatory mini-camp. The offseason program is then completed before training camp begins in July.
Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders run a drill during the Cleveland Browns mandatory minicamp at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio, on June 10, 2025. (Photos by Nick Cammett/Diamond)
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The Browns drafted Taylen Green in the sixth round of last week’s draft.
Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, Browns general manager Andrew Berry cautioned against rushing the first quarterback.
“We don’t have to make that decision too soon,” Berry said at the time. “I think any player we have in that room we can expect to compete for a role. Those two will be no different.”
The Browns went 5-12 last season.
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