We just got our long-awaited explanation from Todd Monken, and in true Cleveland Browns fashion, we were left with far more questions than answers regarding the team's quarterback situation.
Monken arrived fully prepared to take questions from reporters on why he opted for a quarterback switcheroo over the weekend. Prior to Saturday’s practice, Monken matter-of-factly confirmed that it was Shedeur Sanders’ day to work with the starters and handle the majority of the first-team reps.
But when reporters took their places along the practice field minutes later, they saw Deshaun Watson take every meaningful rep with the starters both in competitive 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. Sanders, meanwhile, saw a share of the second-team reps along with third-stringer Dillon Gabriel.
On Monday, Monken attempted to clear the air. He said his assistant coaches stopped him on the way to the practice field and told him that Sanders had seen more of the first-team reps over the first nine days, especially in padded practices, and that prompted him to make a change.
“Shedeur on Saturday took the ones in the [walkthrough],” Monken said. “So I anticipated him being with the ones. When I walked out, guys grabbed me and said, ‘Hey, the last couple days we’ve been kind of looking at it, Shedeur’s gotten a few more reps with the ones.’ That’s all it was. I wasn’t even at the moment… I was like, ‘Yeah, sure, we’ll flip it and next week we’ll go the other way.’”
Monken then tossed a few playful jabs at reporters, letting them know that an apology wasn’t coming for literally saying one thing and then doing the exact opposite.
“I sure as hell wasn’t thinking about coming back here and telling all you guys that I was going to change my mind, um, because I really don’t have to,” he quipped. “So that’s just the way, being the head coach, I can kind of do that. Ultimately, Shedeur’s going to go today with the ones, unless on the way out I change my mind, and then he won’t, OK?”
Todd Monken's handling of the Browns' quarterback battle suddenly feels out of character
Hey, at least Monken didn’t change his mind on Monday, too. Sanders did in fact open Day 11 of camp with the first unit, though that only adds to the confusing nature of where the Browns’ quarterback competition truly stands entering this week's preseason opener.
Monken said that the normal rotation will continue this week, with Watson working with the starters on Tuesday, and Sanders back with the ones on Wednesday. The team won’t practice on Thursday or Friday as they prepare to travel to Chicago for Saturday's preseason game against the Bears.
Math is hard, but it feels like whatever reps imbalance the coaching staff flagged over the weekend will still be there on Thursday morning.
It’s hard to believe that Monken changed his mind on a whim after chatting with coaches during the 15 minutes between Saturday’s presser and the start of practice. More likely: The coaches liked how Watson finished the week and wanted to reward him with more opportunities. The explanation could have been as simple as that.
But that would qualify as a clear pivot point in the competition, so we’re instead getting vagueness and tongue-in-cheek remarks. With all due respect to Monken, who has been refreshingly candid and blunt since landing the Browns job, reporters have a right to seek answers when they’re told one thing and the opposite happens.
For some reason, the Browns seem terrified to end the quarterback competition and name a Week 1 starter. They're poised to take this thing to the 11th hour, with Monken once again bringing up the Aug. 20 joint practice with Buffalo and that weekend’s preseason game as the target date. He even clearly said on multiple occasions Monday that both quarterbacks will start a game in the preseason, after originally stating that NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe “took liberties” with their conversation last week and that his report on that exact thing was taken out of context.
Browns fans are used to games of musical chairs at quarterback. Under Monken, we’ve entered a frustrating game of hide and seek. There may be a new regime in place, but some things never change in Berea, and the quarterback position remains at the center of it all.
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