The Cleveland Browns' quarterback competition may finally be trending in a clear direction. Deshaun Watson bounced back from a dreadful start to training camp, and he may have forced Todd Monken's hand to keep him on the field.
Watson took all first-team reps on Saturday, a day initially scheduled for Shedeur Sanders. Instead, the fifth-round pick had to settle for splitting second-team reps with Dillon Gabriel, with fans wondering whether he's already fallen behind in the quarterback competition.
However, something about Todd Monken's presser might hint at something else going on. When asked about Saturday's session, the Browns' first-year head coach praised Sanders for not being pleased with being passed over.
“I’ve been impressed with both players and the way they’ve handled the back and forth of the reps, and we’re trying as best we can to balance the reps so we get both of them the opportunity to showcase their skill set," Monken said. "It’s never going to be perfect, and they handled that great. Shedeur today was great. Sure, maybe Saturday, he would have preferred to be with the ones. I would be pissed if he wasn’t. Like, all of our guys should want to be with the ones."
Todd Monken won't break Shedeur Sanders' stride
Monken is an old-school guy. He likes Dawgs, competitors, and guys who won't be rattled. Shedeur Sanders oozes confidence, but he's never been battle-tested like this, so this might all be just a big mind game.
Browns insider Tony Grossi reported that the Browns' first hint at leaning toward Watson came on Thursday, not Saturday. Beat writer Mary Kay Cabot added that Watson knew that he would go with the starters 45 minutes before Monken reaffirmed that Saturday was Sanders' day.
Some would argue that this is just another example of the Browns' dysfunction, but everything feels too intentional. Also, there's another side of this story that cannot go overlooked: Monken's recent one-on-one with Deion Sanders.
No one knows how to challenge Shedeur better than his father and former head coach. No one knows how to light that fire inside him better than Coach Prime. Maybe this is a bit too conspiratorial, but what if it's all part of the plan? Otherwise, why change his scheduled day on the spot?
This is a cruel business, and players often don't have as much control as they would like. Being able to weather the storm and take the blows is also a big part of the job, and it's all about how they respond to adversity.
Sanders' rookie training camp was different because he was there to climb the ladder and earn his stripes. Now, after starting seven games last season and being in the mix to start from Day 1, it feels like he's losing. He went from hunter to hunted, and it takes plenty of maturity and mental fortitude to stay the course, put your head down, and keep showing up to work every single day.
Perhaps this is just wishful thinking, and Watson is, in fact, leading the race. But even if that's the case, everybody in this league smells fear, and Sanders can't afford to show an ounce of doubt. He must channel all that anger into getting better every single day and making the most of every opportunity he gets to prove that not choosing him would be a big mistake.
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