Browns' Todd Monken clarifies preseason plan for Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson QB competition

A Tuesday report suggested that Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken had told NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe that second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders and veteran Deshaun Watson will each start one preseason game amid the competition for Cleveland's QB1 job. 

While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Monken was asked about his plans for Cleveland's preseason contests at the Chicago Bears on Aug. 15 and versus the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 22. Monken teased that it's not a guarantee that Sanders and Watson will both get one start later this month. 

Todd Monken open to holding Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson competition through at least two preseason games

"Basically talked about that the quarterbacks are gonna play in the preseason," Monken explained, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "Obviously, if it’s still a competition at that time, why wouldn’t you start one and start the other, and then we would go from there? That was really what the conversation was."

Monken's update could lead one to believe he is at least open to the idea of possibly starting the same quarterback for Cleveland's first two preseason games. While it's unclear if the competition will run through the Browns' preseason finale against the New England Patriots on Aug. 27, it sounds like neither Sanders nor Watson is all that close to grabbing hold of the QB1 gig. 

Browns "far from" naming starting QB for preseason opener

A Wednesday story shared that Sanders began the day "probably leading" the competition for the starting job "at this still-early stage" of the battle. Meanwhile, Monken reportedly wants Sanders "to get in and out of the huddle a little cleaner" and to "be a little faster with [his] decision-making." Monken also wants Watson "to take care of the ball better" in practices leading up to the Chicago game. 

"He wasn’t wrong in what we talked about, which you’ve all known that they’re gonna play in the preseason," Monken added about his conversation with Wolfe. "Someone has to go out there for the first snap, thus they would be the one that starts. At this point, we’re so far from that, that it’s not really as important as what it got made out to be." 

In short, neither Sanders nor Watson seems to have a significant lead in the competition that probably won't end before Aug. 22 at the earliest.