It's only May 1, but somehow, the Browns have found a way to attract attention to their quarterback situation.
Following a report from on the early results from the team's anticipated quarterback battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, new coach Todd Monken wasn't willing to commit to a passer, nor was he interested in setting a deadline. But it sure would be nice to have one.
"I would love to have that. I'm not there yet," Monken said Friday when asked if he'd like to have a starter determined before training camp arrives. "So I can't say that. We've been on the field three practices, which was awesome to get out there with our players."
A first-time head coach with plenty of experience directing offenses, Monken should understand what he wants in his quarterback and when he sees it. He just hasn't had much time to watch yet.
"It's always changing based on what you see. I don't have a history with any of our players," Monken said. "I know where this is heading, but I don't have a history with any of our players. They're all external to me, just like when I interviewed coaches for the coordinator position. There were no internal candidates. I wasn't here. They're all external to me. So all the players are external, other than Tylan Wallace. The point is what I've seen after three days, OK, that gives us a little bit of a 40,000-foot view of where we're at. But that can change.
"Once we get back on the field for four weeks at the end of this spring, we'll have a better idea then. But there's only so many reps you get. You've got to start to target towards who is gonna start opening day. Now, that can still change. That can change, even if someone's getting two-thirds of the reps or someone's getting a third of the reps because you're still gonna play preseason games, you're still gonna wanna see those guys at quarterback and see how they play."
While Sanders appeared in eight games (seven starts) as a rookie in 2025, conventional wisdom (and salary cap numbers) suggest Watson should be the early leader in the race for the top job. Reports from April workouts suggest the same, which shouldn't surprise anyone even after Watson's first four years in Cleveland have proven to be an abject failure.
With one year left on his five-year, $230 million deal, Watson needs to deliver something for the Browns. After taking all of 2025 to heal from a twice-repaired Achilles, Watson needs it just as much if he has any ambitions of continuing to play professional football.
On paper, the veteran's 76 games of experience should give him a significant edge over Sanders, even if it's to the chagrin of the latter's ardent fanbase. However, given his lengthy injury history in Cleveland and significant decline in performance, Watson still needs to prove he's worthy of the opportunity.
Monken hopes to answer those questions in the coming weeks and months. Don't be surprised if we hear plenty about it between now and August.
