If Todd Monken is taking one lesson from the Cleveland Browns ’ previous offseason, it is this: settle the quarterback situation early and have a clear QB1 before training camp. Under Kevin Stefanski, the competition dragged on well past camp, and the season unraveled with Joe Flacco , Dillon Gabriel , and Shedeur Sanders rotating through the offense.
“(I) would love to,” Monken said during his recent appearance on the Ken Carman Show , when asked if he wants to have a starting quarterback before the training camp. “I would love to have that. I’m not there yet, so I can’t say that. We’ve been on the field three practices, which was awesome, and to get out there with our players.”
Splitting first-team reps across multiple quarterbacks in OTAs and minicamp does more than slow individual development; it stalls the entire offense. Browns beat reporter Ashley Bastock summed it up clearly:
“A three-way quarterback competition into training camp is, I’m sorry, we just can’t do it. You can’t do it. They totally bungled last year’s.”
And once again, Cleveland enters the next phase of the offseason with four quarterbacks on the roster: veteran Deshaun Watson , second-year options Sanders and Gabriel, and rookie Taylen Green .
Green is unlikely to start as a rookie. That leaves Sanders and Gabriel competing for a backup role, which opens the door for Watson to take control of the offense heading into Week 1 of the 2026 season.
There are football reasons behind that outlook. Monken spent three seasons as offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens , building an offense around Lamar Jackson . Sanders and Gabriel are not built in that same mold, while Watson has shown the ability to extend plays, particularly during his time with the Houston Texans , where he posted rushing totals of 551, 413, and 444 yards across his final three seasons.
On top of that, the Browns are undergoing a broader offensive reset. The roster now includes rookie left tackle Spencer Fano, rookie receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, along with a new scheme, new terminology, and Monken calling plays himself.
Putting an inexperienced quarterback into that environment comes with risk. From Monken’s perspective, starting with a more established option offers stability. That is the context behind Watson’s early edge over Sanders and Gabriel as the Browns try to avoid repeating last year’s uncertainty.
At the same time, evaluating the quarterback room will not be simple for Todd Monken. He is no longer working within the familiarity of the Ravens system with Lamar Jackson . Instead, he steps into a Browns setup that has never developed a quarterback since the team’s return to the league. And he has only seen his current group through three practices so far.
“I don’t have a history with any of our players,” Monken added. “I know where this is heading. They’re all external to me. Just like when I interviewed coaches for the coordinator position, there was no internal candidates. I wasn’t here. They’re external to me. So, all the players are external other than Tylen Wallace who was with us.”
That said, Monken’s comments on the Ken Carman Show point in two directions. One, a QB1 decision in Cleveland could come sooner than expected as he works to avoid last year’s uncertainty. Two, Shedeur Sanders is not locked in as the starter, with Deshaun Watson still firmly in position as a legitimate option to lead the offense.
The Browns kicked off their voluntary minicamp before the draft, with Todd Monken getting his first on-field look at the roster, especially the quarterbacks. Now, with the 2026 NFL Draft behind them, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports that Deshaun Watson has taken an early lead over Shedeur Sanders.
“Deshaun Watson emerged from the Browns’ voluntary minicamp last week with an edge over Shedeur Sanders in the two-man quarterback competition—and has the inside track to be named the Browns QB1, sources tell cleveland.com,” Cabot reported.
Watson has adjusted quickly to Monken’s system, which includes “some of the same spread and other passing concepts” that he ran in Houston’s offenses under Tim Kelly. That overlap has helped him transition more smoothly into the new scheme.
On the field, that showed up immediately. Watson handled a larger share of first-team reps during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills in the opening minicamp sessions. He continued as the primary quarterback in key situations, including red-zone work and two-minute drills.
At the same time, his edge is not just about familiarity. According to Cabot, Watson has also put in extra work away from the field to get comfortable with the system.
“What’s more, he’s worked hard on his own to study and learn Monken’s offense and is playing fast on the field.”
The offseason began with the expectation of a true competition between Watson and Sanders. That battle is still expected to continue till training camp, but the early returns suggest momentum is leaning toward Watson.
For now, it is not a finalized decision. But based on the first phase of the offseason, Watson has positioned himself as the frontrunner while continuing to build trust within Monken’s system and the coaching staff.
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