Browns HC Todd Monken addresses Deshaun Watson-Shedeur Sanders debate

Todd Monken. Lisa Scalfaro / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Browns HC Todd Monken addresses Deshaun Watson-Shedeur Sanders debate

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated May 1, 2026 9:58 AM ET

Veteran Cleveland Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot stirred the pot when she reported that Deshaun Watson was ahead of Shedeur Sanders in the team's pecking order.

Monken has the option to declare Watson QB1 right now so he could make the most of limited reps before training camp and get the offense going.

While that might make sense to a degree, Monken pumped the brakes on that narrative.

In a Friday appearance on 92.3 The Fan, the first-year head coach admitted that he still hasn't made up his mind about a starting quarterback.

The Browns haven't chosen a QB1 yet

"I would love to have that, I'm not there yet ... We've been on the field three practices," Monken said. "...There's only so many reps you get, you start to target who is gonna start opening day. That can change even if someone is gonna get 2/3 of reps or 1/3 of reps because you're still gonna play preseason games."

"I would love to have that, I'm not there yet. We've been on the field 3 practices... There's only so many reps you get, you start to target who is gonna start opening day. That can change even if someone is gonna get 2/3 of reps or 1/3 of reps because you're still gonna play… pic.twitter.com/Thl7p9bbHH
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) May 1, 2026

Monken has repeatedly stated that first-team reps won't be divided equally and that there will be some sort of pecking order.

That said, even though the offense definitely needs as many reps together as possible to get a hold of the new system and terminology, it's just too early to determine whether Watson or Sanders should start.

Cabot's comments sparked online criticism and even a sexist comment by Shedeur's brother, Shilo.

Regardless, insiders only report the information they're being fed, so either Watson is in fact ahead of Sanders, or there are different views about the QB competition inside the building.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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