Cleveland Browns fans are well aware of the old axiom that says: "If you have two starting quarterbacks, you don't have one" after years of poor play under center. New head coach Todd Monken is trying his best to get a competition going between veteran Deshaun Watson and second-year player Shedeur Sanders, but where each player stands remains a mystery.
The Browns have not named a Week 1 starter, and Monken continues to play coy when asked about what his depth chart is going to look like. Monken refuted a report out there that said Watson and Sanders would each get a chance to start a preseason game, saying that his comments were "not what it's made out to be."
Monken's lack of clarity on this issue is frustrating, as it only serves to add more uncertainty and questions to a Browns quarterback room that is already hitting a critical mass of vagueness. Any more uncertain answers will only add to the apathy and confusion from a fed-up fanbase.
Todd Monken dodging quarterback questions will only irritate Cleveland Browns fans
Even if Monken doesn't want to pick an outright QB1 to begin the season, would it really be the worst idea in the world to name either Sanders or Watson as a presumptive starter? Instead, Monken is creating an even more unfocused and unsettled picture at the most important position on the team.
The Browns already have too many cooks in the kitchen, as they have two second-year players in Sanders and Dillon Gabriel and a rookie developmental piece in Taylen Green marinating behind Watson. Going this long without clarity will only make fans and players more tribal as everyone tries to promote their favorite guy as the right man for the job.
The Browns aren't expected to contend this season. Wouldn't it make more sense to make a firm decision and stick with it? Monken is likely not going to get fired after one season, and showing an inability to decisively take a stand here makes him come across like someone unfamiliar with the tougher aspects of this job.
Monken will eventually be forced to pick a winner, but not after a competition that has only added to the confusion. Teams with much more controversial quarterback races have already figured themselves out, but the Browns stand alone in causing a bunch of uncertainty.
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