Entering the most pivotal week of the offseason in terms of roster competition, Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken laid out his plan for the quarterbacks on Monday morning.
For fans who still feel there’s a serious competition taking place between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, Monken’s plan was underwhelming.
Sanders took every first-team rep during Monday’s practice, which was a lighter session coming off the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears. Watson got his turn Tuesday in full pads, and Sanders will be back up again on Wednesday (no pads) with the two QBs alternating with the starters in some fashion during Thursday’s joint practice with the Buffalo Bills.
Monken also confirmed that Sanders will start Saturday’s preseason game against Buffalo at Huntington Bank Field, but he couldn’t commit to who he would be playing with. The Browns could rest the majority of their starters, Monken said, depending on the volume of work they end up getting on Thursday.
Even with Watson clearly leading the race, Monken has been careful to include Sanders in every conversation. He’s not really doing Sanders any favors, though, as host Mike Greenberg said during Tuesday morning’s episode of Get Up on ESPN.
“Shedeur Sanders getting drafted where he got drafted gives you a preconceived notion even though it has nothing to do with what’s going on right now," Greenberg said. "They’re not developing him like they’re trying to make him the starter, like he’s their guy going forward. He’s not getting all the work. He’s not getting all the reps. He’s gonna look like a young player because he’s not being treated like a guy they’re trying to develop.”
The Browns' actions don't match their words on Shedeur Sanders
Greenberg said it. The Browns may say that Sanders has a chance to start this year and be their quarterback of the future, but their actions are telling a completely different story.
Sanders started seven games in 2025 despite getting the Taylen Green treatment in training camp. With Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel ahead of him on the depth chart, it took an injury to Pickett for Sanders to get a small share of the practice reps.
Monken’s decision to alternate first-team reps between Watson and Sanders throughout training camp this summer certainly hasn’t helped the 24-year-old’s development. In the week leading up to Cleveland’s first preseason game, Sanders had his turn in the practice rotation skipped in favor of Watson on Saturday, Aug. 8. He then sat for the first half of the Bears game before opening the third quarter with Dawand Jones at left tackle leading a patchwork group of backup offensive linemen.
Sanders’ performance in the game was uneven, but what else could the Browns have expected?
Whether it comes on Monday of next week or sometime before then, Monken is close to making the quarterback decision that Browns fans have been dreading for months. But at this point, it makes sense. If you’re not going to seriously groom and prepare Sanders for a real 2026 audition to be the franchise’s quarterback of the future, what's the point in naming him the starter for Sept. 13 at Jacksonville?
The Browns have never been all that serious about Sanders’ future, at least not as it pertains to their future plans for the 2027 NFL Draft. They’ve been subtly telling us all along, too, and the inevitable announcement that the $46 million Watson will open the season as QB1 will just be the latest example.
Add us as a preferred source on Google