The talk of the Cleveland Browns’ training camp has been the quarterback battle between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson. With every pass being tracked, fans and media members are anxious to know who will emerge as the starter.
However, head coach Todd Monken has insisted that it’s still early in the competition. Monken would like to evaluate the quarterbacks in non-install practices and preseason games before he names a starter. With three preseason games to play, the head coach recently shared his plan for the quarterbacks.
Shared by NFL Network reporter Cameron Wolfe, who spoke with the Browns coach on Tuesday, Monken plans to start one quarterback for the first preseason game, and will start the other for the second preseason game. After that, Cleveland will have a leader in the competition, who will likely start the third and final preseason game.
Cam reporting that Todd Monken said he’ll start Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders in each of the first two preseason games; the next week of practice will decide who starts which game.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) August 5, 2026
That setup makes sense with a likely decision ahead of the third preseason game/dress… https://t.co/UgcFywnipp
Todd Monken plans to start both Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson in preseason games
This approach makes sense and lines up with the expected timeline for the quarterback battle. The Browns will complete their offensive installs on Thursday, and according to Monken, the real evaluations will get started after that.
Cleveland will have a week of practice before playing the Chicago Bears on Saturday, August 15, in the team’s first preseason game. The Browns will then return for another week of practice, which will include a joint practice against the Buffalo Bills, before the teams share the field for a preseason game on Saturday, August 22.
That would complete two weeks of practice where the offense isn’t installing anything, one joint practice against an AFC contender, and two preseason games. By that point, head coach Todd Monken should have enough information to make a decision, and he likely will — even if the team doesn’t announce it publicly.
If the team doesn’t immediately name a starter after the second preseason game, the answer will reveal itself through the practice reps and whoever starts the final preseason game. With the final game always viewed as a dress rehearsal for the regular season, the team will likely roll out its Week 1 lineup.
So while things have already been intense for the Browns, the heat is about to get turned up, as the preseason nears.
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