Browns coach Todd Monken keeping QB competition open amid uneven practice reps, Shedeur Sanders buzz

The Cleveland Browns entered past play with 1 of the NFL's much crowded backmost rooms.

Shedeur Sanders took implicit the starting backmost duties successful Week 12 past season, and aft 2 much starts, helium was named the starter for the remainder of the season. Dillon Gabriel moved to a backup relation arsenic Deshaun Watson stayed connected the physically incapable to execute list, adjacent aft the squad opened his 21-day signifier model successful December.

Sanders, Gabriel and Watson are each acceptable to instrumentality successful 2026, but it remains unclear which backmost volition beryllium nether halfway erstwhile the regular play begins this fall. Browns caput manager Todd Monken reiterated his stance connected maintaining an unfastened contention for the starting job, telling Cleveland vigor presumption 92.3 The Fan that it is premature to sanction a starter.

"It’s my occupation to fto it play out," Monken said.

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Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns looks to walk during a voluntary seasoned minicamp astatine CrossCountry Mortgage Campus successful Berea, Ohio, connected April 21, 2026. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Monken’s comments Friday are successful enactment with his antecedently stated content successful letting the players determine who plays and giving each progressive opportunities arsenic the contention evolves.

The remarks besides travel a study that Watson leads the contention for the starting job. They besides travel aft Shilo Sanders downplayed the study and publically expressed enactment for his member Shedeur’s bid for QB1.

DESHAUN WATSON HAS 'INSIDE TRACK' TO BE BROWNS' WEEK 1 STARTING QUARTERBACK OVER SHEDEUR SANDERS: REPORT

Monken, who was hired successful January, is expected to present a caller violative strategy successful Cleveland. The first-year manager has indicated helium yet prefers 1 backmost to abstracted himself from the group.

The Browns held a three-day voluntary minicamp soon earlier the 2026 NFL Draft. At the lone unfastened signifier unfastened to the media, Watson led the backmost rotation successful astir drills, but Monken said the program called for Sanders to get much reps overall.

Head manager Todd Monken of the Cleveland Browns looks connected during a voluntary seasoned minicamp astatine CrossCountry Mortgage Campus successful Berea, Ohio, connected April 21, 2026. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

"I’m not determination yet, truthful I can’t accidental (there’s a leader)," Monken added. "We’ve been connected the tract 3 days."

The Browns are scheduled to statesman organized squad activities (OTAs) successful mid-May. The pursuing month, the squad volition clasp a mandatory minicamp. The offseason programme past concludes earlier grooming campy begins successful July.

Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders tally a drill during the Cleveland Browns mandatory minicamp astatine CrossCountry Mortgage Campus successful Berea, Ohio, connected June 10, 2025. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images)

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The Browns drafted Taylen Green successful the sixth circular successful past week's draft.

Speaking astatine the NFL Scouting Combine successful February, Browns wide manager Andrew Berry cautioned that there's nary unreserved to determine connected the starting quarterback.

"We don't person to marque that determination anytime soon," Berry said astatine the time. "I deliberation immoderate subordinate that we person successful that country we would expect to vie to gain a role. Those 2 would beryllium nary different."

The Browns went 5-12 past season.

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