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EspañolFirst-year Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken sees promise in second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders, league sources say. But Sanders will not be handed the starting quarterback job. And some sources with knowledge of the Browns’ conversations wonder if he’ll even beat out in-house options.
The questions don’t primarily stem from uncertainty about Sanders, whom general manager Andrew Berry said at the combine “grew a lot from start one to start seven.” They instead stem from a growing undercurrent of belief that Deshaun Watson could make a serious push at the Browns’ starting job in 2026.
The Browns opened the 21-day practice window for Watson in December after he missed all earlier-season team drills while recovering from a 2024 Achilles tear. Returning to practice requires far less agility and command than live game play, of course, but Watson’s performance there caught the attention of some in the building.
Watson is due $46 million guaranteed this season whether or not he plays, which gives the Browns motivation to keep him on the roster. Add in a 2027 quarterback draft class that’s much stronger than the 2026 group, and there’s reason for the Browns to eschew costly quarterbacks this offseason.
Monken described the position as an “open competition,” lauding Sanders’ “elite playmaking ability” while also saying the 2024 fifth-round pick has “a ways to go” like most players do coming off their rookie years.
“Why wouldn't it be an open competition?" Monken said at the combine. “I don't mean that saying it harshly, but I don't think there's enough on film over the last couple years, one way or the other, to say, ‘Boy, we have our starter at quarterback yet.’ Whether internally or externally.”
An open competition could favor Watson, whose athletic ceiling and processing ceiling each surpass those of Sanders, league talent evaluators say. Serious injuries, as well as suspension for allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct, have sidelined Watson in recent years. Watson last played a full season in 2020, when he led the league with 4,823 passing yards. He played six games in 2022 and 2023 each, followed by seven in 2025. There should be real questions — but the parts of the game most likely to challenge him after extended time off won’t come until the regular season. And the Browns want a decision before then, Monken said.
“You would hope that by the time you get to training camp, that the reps that you’re giving to a quarterback is for your starter,” Monken said. “Whether we get to that place, I don’t know. That’ll be determined in the offseason as part of it. That’s just another part of the piece.”