Browns coach Monken not ready to name starting QB amid Watson-Sanders battle

The Cleveland Browns entered last season with one of the NFL’s most crowded quarterback rooms.

Shedeur Sanders took over at quarterback in Week 12 of last season and, after making two more starts, was named the starter for the remainder of the season.

Dillon Gabriel moved into a reserve role as Deshaun Watson remained on the physically unable to perform list even after the team opened its 21-day practice window in December.

Sanders, Gabriel and Watson return in 2026, but it remains unclear which quarterback will be at center when the regular season begins this fall.

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Browns head coach Todd Monken reiterated his stance on maintaining an open competition for the starting job, telling Cleveland’s radio station 92.3 The Fan that it’s too early to name a starter.

“It’s my job to let this play out,” Monken said.

Monken’s comments on Friday are in line with his previously stated belief that players should be allowed to decide who plays and be given all relevant opportunities as the competition develops.

The remarks also follow a report that Watson is leading the race for the job. They also came after Shilo Sanders downplayed the report and publicly expressed support for his brother Shedeur’s QB1 bid.

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Monken, who was hired in January, is expected to bring a new offensive system to Cleveland. The first-year coach stated that he prefers a point guard to separate himself from the pack.

The Browns held a three-day volunteer minicamp shortly before the 2026 NFL Draft. In the only practice open to media, Watson led the quarterback rotation for most practices, but Monken said the plan was for Sanders to get more reps overall.

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken during a volunteer senior minicamp at 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 on the field for three days”

The Browns are scheduled to begin organized team activities in mid-May. In June, the team will hold a mandatory mini-camp. The offseason program wraps up 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. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images)

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The Browns selected quarterback Taylen Green in the sixth round in last week’s draft.

Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, Browns general manager Andrew Berry warned against rushing to decide on a starting quarterback.

“We don’t have to make that decision anytime soon,” Berry said. “I think we’d expect any actor in that room to compete to win a role. These two would be no different.”

The Browns went 5-12 last season.

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