Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson QB Competition Updated by Browns HC Ahead of NFL Training Camp

When it comes to the Cleveland Browns' quarterback competition, the newest update is that there's nothing really new to update.

Head coach Todd Monken told reporters he hasn't made a firm decision and will split reps between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson in training camp when that gets underway:

Both he and quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian spoke positively about Sanders heading into his second season:

On Tuesday, Monken framed this as Cleveland having two starting-caliber QBs rather than two equally unsatisfying options.

"Once we get to the fall, we'll have to dissect the reps how we see fit," he said. "I just don't see it after the way Shedeur has played and Deshaun's played. They've both played well enough to earn the right to compete to start."

The coach also cited the difficulty in making a full evaluation before the players are wearing full pads. Nobody will confuse minicamp practices with live action.

"That's the hard thing," Monken said. "As much as I'd love to make that decision, either by someone separating themselves upward or downward, either way, which has not occurred, and we haven't even gotten to practicing against an opponent, putting the pads on, having a controlled scrimmage or playing preseason games. ... I'm not there yet. That's the reality of it."

Watson and Sanders each face some big questions.

Watson hasn't logged a meaningful snap since October 2024, and he's coming off two major Achilles injuries. Nobody knows how he's going to look at full game speed.

In the case of Sanders, he had a lot of flaws in his game to iron out after the 2025 season drew to a close. Look past the name and popularity, and you've got a quarterback who averaged 193.3 yards per game with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions in seven starts.

That's not to say Monken's praise of the pair is hollow. Watson and Sanders could look very encouraging so far. Still, it's hard to know what's real and what might be a product of a less intensive situation.

Based on the coach's remarks today and earlier, this could easily drag into the preseason.