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The Cleveland Browns entered last season with one of the busiest quarterback rooms in the NFL.
Shedeur Sanders took over starting quarterback duties in Week 12 of last season, and after two more starts, he was named the starter for the remainder of the season. Dillon Gabriel moved to the backup role while Deshaun Watson remained on the physically unable to perform list even after the team opened its 21-day practice window in December.
Sanders, Gabriel and Watson are all expected to return in 2026, but it’s still unclear which quarterback will be under center when the regular season begins this fall. Browns head coach Todd Monken reiterated his stance on keeping an open competition for the starting job, telling Cleveland radio station 92.3 The Fan that it is premature to name a starter.
“My job is to let things develop,” Monken said.
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Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns looks to pass during a voluntary minicamp for veterans at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio, on April 21, 2026. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Monken’s comments on Friday are in line with his previously stated belief in letting the players decide who plays and giving opportunities to everyone involved as the competition evolves.
The comments also follow a report that Watson is leading the race for the starting job. They also come after Shilo Sanders downplayed the report and publicly expressed support for his brother Shedeur’s candidacy for QB1.
DESHAUN WATSON HAS ‘INSIDE CLUE’ TO BE BROWNS’ WEEK 1 STARTING QB OVER SHEDEUR SANDERS: REPORT
Monken, who was hired in January, is expected to introduce a new offensive system in Cleveland. The first-year coach has indicated that he ultimately prefers a quarterback to separate himself from the pack.
The Browns held a three-day voluntary minicamp shortly before the 2026 NFL Draft. In the only practice open to the media, Watson led the quarterback rotation in most drills, but Monken said the plan called for Sanders to get more reps overall.
Head coach Todd Monken of the Cleveland Browns looks on during a voluntary minicamp for veterans at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio, on April 21, 2026. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
“I’m not there yet, so I can’t say (there’s a leader),” Monken added. “We’ve been in the field for three days.”
The Browns are scheduled to begin organized team activities (OTA) in mid-May. The following month, the team will hold a mandatory minicamp. The offseason program concludes before training camp begins in July.
Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders run a drill during the Cleveland Browns’ mandatory minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio, on June 10, 2025. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images)
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The Browns selected Taylen Green in the sixth round of last week’s draft.
Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, Browns general manager Andrew Berry cautioned that there is no rush to decide on the starting quarterback.
“We don’t have to make that decision anytime soon,” Berry said at the time. “I think any player we have in that room we would expect to compete for a spot. Those two would be no different.”
The Browns went 5-12 last season.
