Cleveland Browns Not Ready To Name Starting Quarterback

The Cleveland Browns won't rush to settle their quarterback situation for the 2026 season.

After starting three different signal-callers last season, the Browns are still seeking a solution under center. Second-year quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel return alongside Deshaun Watson, who will attempt to come back from two surgeries to repair a torn Achilles tendon.

New head coach Todd Monken eventually must make a major decision about his Week 1 starter. However, there's no need to choose in June.

Monken told reporters on Tuesday, per the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot, that he won't name his starting quarterback yet. Sanders and Watson will continue to split first-team reps during minicamp.

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

Cleveland's QB battle

Cleveland's quarterback competition could simmer into one of the summer's most intriguing position battles.

Sanders plummeted to the fifth round of last year's draft, but he got a chance to play as a rookie after Joe Flacco and Gabriel. The former Colorado star completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in eight games.

Although he didn't run away with the job, the 24-year-old showed occasional spurts of potential. He's a more likely long-term solution than the 30-year-old Watson, who has played just 19 games since joining the Browns in 2022.

Cleveland gave Watson an unprecedented fully guaranteed contract, but the organization has yet to see any semblance of the three-time Pro Bowler. Watson has an 80.7 quarterback rating with just 177.1 passing yards per game for the Browns.

Monken has two imperfect, but intriguing options as he attempts to transform a team that scored an anemic 16.4 points per game last season. He expressed optimism about Sanders and Watson on Monday, per The Athletic's Zac Jackson.

"I'm fired up by the quarterbacks," Monken said. "I'll just tell you, we've got two starting-level quarterbacks. We really do. We look at the film and then we assess that. And again, I think both of them are doing exactly what we're asking them to do and competing like hell."

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 1:44 PM.