One of the most debated topics of the 2026 NFL offseason has centered on Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and the Cleveland Browns’ uncertain quarterback situation. But there’s a potential wild-card situation brewing in the background that fans definitely shouldn’t ignore.
The Browns kicked off Day 1 of their rookie minicamp on Friday in Berea, and that meant sixth-round rookie Taylen Green — not Sanders, Watson, or Dillon Gabriel — got to handle the bulk of the practice reps. Green brings an intriguing dual-threat profile to head coach Todd Monken’s offense, and that was on display at times as he looks about as smooth as it gets on a football field when he tucks the ball and runs.
When asked about Green and the potential for the Browns to integrate his skill set into the offense as soon as Year 1, Monken sounded like a man who expects Green to be firmly in the team's short- and long-term plans. While he said it’s too early to say that the team would create a special package of plays for Green on game days, he refused to rule that out in short-yardage, low red-zone, and third-down scenarios if Green can “progress in certain areas of his game.”
“He’s come a long way. You could see that already, and there’s still a next jump that he can make,” Monken said. “It’s exciting to have him out here and let him just play through some things. Obviously, this is the time for him to get reps. … But I’m excited for him. He’s a great kid. And everything that we had heard about him so far has been true.”
Taylen Green’s immediate impact may be bigger than expected
Watson and Sanders remain the clear headliners of the Browns’ quarterback competition, and they’ll continue to be when the team reconvenes for organized full-team workouts later this month. But the competition between Gabriel and Green for the No. 3 quarterback spot might already be decided.
It’s not uncommon for players taken in the final two rounds of the draft to get released, or stashed on practice squads, especially for a team like Cleveland that made 10 draft selections and signed another dozen rookie free agents. The Philadelphia Eagles, a team the Browns have long mirrored from a strategic standpoint, selected Kyle McCord in the sixth round of the 2025 draft, carried him on the practice squad for the full year, and lost him to the Packers in January to a futures contract.
The Browns, however, seem highly unlikely to risk losing the first quarterback drafted during the Todd Monken era. Monken clearly had a strong voice in the war room, as the Browns took offensive players with eight of their 10 draft picks. It would take a disastrous training camp for the Browns to cut bait with Green, given Monken’s affinity for mobile, playmaking quarterbacks.
That makes Gabriel, a third-round pick last year, the clear odd-man out. The Browns will likely keep him on the roster throughout the summer and look to trade him prior to cut-down day, as an early look at the team’s potential 53-man roster leaves little room for a fourth QB. The most likely scenario seems to be Gabriel leaving this year, Watson leaving next March, and the Browns drafting another quarterback in the 2027 draft, most likely on Day 1.
Could Gabriel clearly beat out Green in camp and force the Browns into an extremely difficult decision? Given Green’s struggles with turnovers at Arkansas, nothing is guaranteed.
But as of the start of the Browns’ rookie minicamp on May 8, Monken sounds like a coach who’s excited to learn what his new young weapon can do.
Add us as a preferred source on Google