Todd Monken addresses Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders competition

Multiple recent reports suggested that first-year Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken would tell reporters on Monday that veteran Deshaun Watson would serve as the club's starting quarterback over second-year pro Shedeur Sanders for the team's preseason opener at the Chicago Bears on Aug. 15.

Monken ultimately went down a different route. 

Will Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders start for Browns vs. Bears?

Per Scott Petrak of The Chronicle-Telegram and the Medina Gazette, Monken insisted on Monday afternoon that the competition for the starting job between Watson and Sanders will continue. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer noted that Monken hasn't yet decided if Watson or Sanders will get the start against the Bears. 

According to Monken, the quarterback who doesn't start versus Chicago will get the start for Cleveland's home preseason game versus the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 22. Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand previously said that the team's joint practice against the Bills on Aug. 20 "is the most singularly important day of" Cleveland's training camp. Meanwhile, a subsequent story said that "it stands to reason that" Monken will make his Week 1 QB1 decision before the Browns' preseason finale against the New England Patriots on Aug. 27.

What was reason for unexpected Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders development?

Eyebrows were raised when it was learned that Watson got all the first-team reps on Saturday when it was supposed to be Sanders' day for those reps. Monken revealed that Sanders would get first-team reps on Monday, and the coach also said he finds speculation about what he is and/or isn't thinking about the quarterback competition "funny."