Leading up to this year’s NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns held their voluntary three-day minicamp. That series of practices began with beleaguered veteran Deshaun Watson and polarizing second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders both receiving first-team reps. Afterward, first-year head coach Todd Monken downplayed that split, noting that he wouldn’t say the competition under center is “a two-man race.”
But a bit more than a week later, and just days after the draft, a report surfaced that one man was in the lead. That’s Watson, who, according to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, has the inside track to win the starting job and that Monken hopes to identify his first-string signal-caller by the end of mandatory minicamp, which runs from June 9-11.
During a Friday morning appearance on Cleveland’s 92.3 The Fan, Monken said on “The Ken Carman Show” said he’s “not there yet” on naming a QB1. The former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator was asked about how he intends to disassociate the noise surrounding the position battle — which includes Cabot’s report and a subsequent viral reaction from Shedeur’s brother, Shilo, that disparaged the longtime beat reporter — from the actual play on the field.
“That’s a man making a comment on social media. That’s someone reporting something they believe. That’s their opinion. Not my opinion. I didn’t say that. Our daily inner workings with the QBs and the players is going to be mean more than what is said outside of there.”
🚨… https://t.co/n9pjhqyiGSpic.twitter.com/XTCDnkqvWD
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) May 1, 2026
Monken explained that noise comes with the territory, and that neither Shedeur Sanders nor Watson nor he can afford to let it bother them in their respective positions.
“That’s a man making a comment on social media. That’s someone reporting something they believe. That’s their opinion. Fine, not my opinion,” Monken said on 92.3 The Fan.
“I didn’t say that. Our daily inner workings with the quarterbacks and the players is going to mean more than what is said outside of there. Ultimately, do I believe that our players look at social media? Of course. Do I? Yes. I mean, do most of us? Yes. That’s the world we live in. … But, ultimately, if that’s going to be what defines you, then you’re going to struggle to be either the head coach, be an offensive coordinator, or be our quarterback.”
Monken has maintained this offseason that the best way to disarm a narrative is with on-field performance. Playing well, and winning most importantly, can quiet the raucous, essentially.
The Browns, of course, haven’t done a lot of winning lately. They’ve made the playoffs just three times since the turn of the century. They’re coming off their second straight season with five or fewer wins.
Like last offseason, Cleveland’s quarterback situation once again offers one of the more buzz-worthy NFL spring storylines.
The Browns’ QB room currently features Watson, Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green. Watson is a three-time Pro Bowler but hasn’t earned that recognition since the 2020 season. Sanders started the team’s final seven games during the 2025 campaign, helping the Browns collect three of their five wins yet posting more interceptions than touchdown passes and a sub-60% completion percentage along the way.
Gabriel was drafted before Sanders last year; however, he didn’t run away with the top gig when given an opportunity to start in 2025 before he was bounced from the lineup with a concussion. He appears to be QB3 at the moment. Green, meanwhile, is a super athlete from Arkansas whom Cleveland selected in the sixth round this year.
Monken was asked Friday to confirm if wants to have a QB1 before training camp.
“Well, I would love to have that. I’m not there yet, so I can’t say that,” he said on 92.3 The Fan. “We’ve been on the field three practices, which was awesome to get out there with our players. … But it’s always changing based on what you see.”
He continued: “So at 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 toward who’s going to start opening day. And now that can still change. And that can change, even if someone’s getting two-thirds of the reps and someone’s getting a third of the reps, because you’re still going to play preseason games. You’re still going to want to see those guys at quarterback and see how they play.”
Monken did say, though, that eventually it’s important for players to know who the lead guy is at the position as well as a belief in whomever that is.
“I just think they want to know who’s going to give us the best chance to win,” Monken said. “Who do we believe in that’s going to give us the best chance to win? Because through all the money and all of that, there’s nothing like the feeling in the locker room when you win.”
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