The Cleveland Browns turning the page to Todd Monken as head coach has changed the energy around the building. Monken is tasked with finding the starting quarterback in a room that has a bunch of different options.
It appears the competition is between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, but Watson has the slight edge on several betting markets. Despite that, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer discussed Cleveland's quarterback battle and revealed that the contest is nowhere near over.
"There’s going to be a lot of noise around the Browns quarterback situation, but I do believe head coach Todd Monken is going to be fair about it. What does that mean? To me, it means no one’s getting anointed. The best man will win. And the cool thing about it is if you look at the new Browns coach’s history, he has enough schematic clubs in his bag to make it work for whoever he picks—be it Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders or whoever else."
For Breer to come out and say that Monken will play whoever the best quarterback is on the field, that should give Sanders more than enough confidence entering a pivotal minicamp and training camp.
Shedeur Sanders will have a fair chance to win QB battle for Browns
It seems like Watson has the leg up on Sanders in the competition. His NFL experience, in addition to his hefty price tag ($44 million cap hit in 2026), plays a role in that. Watson reportedly "hit it off" with Monken, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, but that doesn't mean he has the QB1 job locked away.
Based on Breer's comments, if Sanders is the better quarterback, he'll be under center in Week 1. After being drafted in the fifth round in 2025, Sanders still found his way into the starting lineup. In eight games (seven starts), he went 120-of-212 (56.6 percent) for 1,400 yards, seven passing touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
It wasn't an ideal situation for a rookie quarterback, which led to some bad moments for Sanders, but at the same time, he flashed. With a season under his belt, Sanders should be more equipped for what comes his way next season.
It's also worth noting that Monken has been an effective play-caller in both the college ranks and the NFL. He is known for crafting a scheme that uses his quarterback's strengths instead of forcing them to run a specific system.
In the NFL, Monken has built offenses around Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, and Jameis Winston. They all have different skillsets, but found success with Monken. Meanwhile, with the Georgia Bulldogs, Monken helped Stetson Bennett become one of the most efficient college quarterbacks, throwing 56 touchdowns to only 11 interceptions.
The Browns made sure to infuse the offense with talent. They signed Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins in free agency before snagging Spencer Fano with the ninth overall pick. Not only did they bolster the trenches, but they also drafted receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. The offense has more talent around the quarterback position, which should help Sanders stand out in practice.
No matter how the snaps break down in minicamp and training camp, Sanders will get chances to showcase that he can be the starter, and if he's the clear-cut best option out there, he will be the starter when the Browns travel to play the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1.
Watson is returning from two torn Achilles surgeries, on top of three underwhelming seasons with the Browns. It will be a battle to watch for sure, but this report shows that Sanders has a real shot to come out as the starter.
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