Since the Cleveland Browns made the unpopular decision to name Deshaun Watson their starting quarterback, they have been at the center of discussions across the NFL world. Like many conversations involving the Browns, Watson, and Shedeur Sanders, things quickly spiraled out of control.
One talking point that has emerged is which quarterback did the locker room want to start. Various former NFL players have gone on record with conflicting reports about who Browns players want under center. Some have argued that everyone wants to see Sanders internally, and others have said the building is happy with Watson.
Others have even tried to argue that the fact that there isn’t a clear leak from players in the locker room speaks to the players being happy with Watson as the starter. While all of this is just unfounded fodder to keep the NFL news cycle moving along, it does highlight something important: Todd Monken is laying the foundation for a great culture in Cleveland.
Lack of noise from Browns’ players says a lot about their belief in Todd Monken
The reason there isn’t a consensus about what the locker room thinks is because Cleveland hasn’t been a chatty, divided locker room under Todd Monken. Since the new coaching staff arrived, all players have talked about is how much they love spending time together, and how the energy is different than past years.
The locker room wasn't going to throw that all away the second the quarterback battle ended. Whether or not the players agreed with the decision is irrelevant; the point is, people outside the building won’t know how they feel because they are committed to presenting a united front.
That has been the case all offseason when players were put in awkward spots by having to answer questions about the quarterback position. The answers always echoed the sentiment that players believed in both quarterbacks and were ready to go to war with whoever was starting.
Both quarterbacks, Watson and Sanders, did a great job modeling that mindset as well. They consistently downplayed the competition and kept things from getting divisive internally. That was always unlikely to change once a starter was named.
In the case of Sanders, specifically, everything that he has done since joining the Browns makes it clear that he’s not even the kind of player who would want his teammates to start drama in the media on his behalf.
While all of the players deserve credit, the example starts up top with Todd Monken. He has developed a united team that is eager to support each other. Hopefully, that togetherness will lead to wins. If not, the Browns’ unity will be tested.
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