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The Cleveland Browns entered last season with one of the busiest quarterback rooms in the NFL.
Shedeur Sanders took over starting quarterback duties in Week 12 last season, and after two more starts, he was named the starter for the remainder of the season. Dillon Gabriel moved to a backup role while 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 are all expected to return in 2026, but it remains unclear which quarterback will be under center when the regular season begins this fall. Browns head coach Todd Monken reiterated his stance on maintaining an open competition for the starting job, telling Cleveland radio station 92.3 The Fan that it was premature to name a starter.
“It’s my job to let things play out,” Monken said.
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Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns looks for success during a voluntary veterans minicamp at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio on April 21, 2026. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Monken’s comments Friday are consistent with his previously stated belief in letting the players decide who plays and giving everyone involved opportunities as the competition evolves.
These remarks also come on the heels of a report that Watson is leading the race for the starting job. They also come after Shilo Sanders downplayed the report and publicly expressed support for his brother Shedeur’s candidacy for QB1.
DESHAUN WATSON HAS AN “INSIDE ROUTE” TO BE THE BROWNS’ WEEK 1 STARTING QUARTERBACK ON SHEDEUR SANDERS: REPORT
Monken, hired in January, is expected to introduce a new offensive system in Cleveland. The first-year coach said he ultimately preferred a quarterback separate himself from the group.
The Browns held a voluntary three-day minicamp shortly before the 2026 NFL Draft. In the only practice open to the media, Watson led the quarterback rotation in most drills, but Monken said the plan called for Sanders to get more reps overall.
Head coach Todd Monken of the Cleveland Browns attends a voluntary veterans 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’s a leader),” Monken added. “We have been on the ground for three days.”
The Browns are expected to begin Organized Team Activities (OTAs) in mid-May. The following month, the team will host a mandatory minicamp. The offseason program then concludes before the start of training camp in July.
Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders run through 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 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 that there was no rush to decide on the starting quarterback.
“We don’t have to make that decision anytime soon,” Berry said at the time. “I think any player we have in this room, we expect him to compete to earn a role. Those two would be no different.”
The Browns went 5-12 last season.
