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The Cleveland Browns entered last season with one of the NFL’s more crowded quarterback rooms.
Shedeur Sanders took over the starting quarterback duties in Week 12 last season, and after two more starts, he was named the starter for the rest of the season. Dillon Gabriel moved into a backup role when 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 set to return in 2026, but it remains unclear which quarterback will be under center when the regular season begins this fall. Browns head coach Todd Monken reiterated his stance on maintaining an open competition for the starting job, telling Cleveland radio station 92.3 The Fan that it’s too early to name a starter.
“It’s my job to let it play,” Monken said.
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Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns looks to pass during a voluntary veterans minicamp at the 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 everyone involved options as the competition evolves.
The remarks also follow a report that Watson is leading the race for the starting job. They also come after Shilo Sanders played down the report and publicly expressed support for his brother Shedeur’s bid for QB1.
DESHAUN WATSON HAS ‘INSIDE TRACK’ TO BOWNS’ WEEK 1 STARTING QUARTERBACK 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. At the lone open 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.
Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken looks on during a voluntary veterans minicamp at the 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 on the field for three days.”
The Browns are scheduled to begin organized team activities (OTAs) in mid-May. The following month, the team holds a mandatory minicamp. The offseason program then concludes before training camp begins in July.
Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders run a drill during the Cleveland Browns’ mandatory minicamp at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio, on June 10, 2025. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images)
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The Browns drafted 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 space would expect to compete for a role. Those two would be no different.”
The Browns went 5-12 last season.
