When Browns training camp opens at the end of July, the spotlight is going to land on one place first: quarterback.
Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are set to headline the battle that has Cleveland fans watching every snap, every rep and every hint from the coaching staff. Back in February at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, new Browns head coach Todd Monken said that in a dream world, the team would have its starting quarterback identified by the end of spring practices.
That never happened. And after mandatory veteran minicamp wrapped in June, Monken still wasn’t ready to hand the job to either Watson or Sanders.
So here the Browns are again, heading into another camp with another quarterback competition.
That phrase has been part of the Browns’ story for years in Berea, and none of those previous battles have really solved the problem. Even after watching voluntary OTAs and minicamp, it’s tough to picture Watson or Sanders doing enough over a few weeks of individual work to stop Cleveland from taking a first-round quarterback in April’s draft. But until Monken actually names a starter, this is the conversation that matters most.
Watson came into the competition with what reports described as an inside edge, and Monken even said he was willing to give the veteran the benefit of the doubt. But that advantage seemed to fade as spring went on. Watson had a few highlight throws, sure, but the mistakes were there too - interceptions and accuracy issues that kept showing up.
Watson himself made clear that his goal isn’t to get back to the version of himself that once led the league in passing in 2020 with the Houston Texans. He said he’s simply trying to stay available for "all 17-plus games," something he hasn’t managed since arriving in Cleveland in 2022.
Monken didn’t exactly sugarcoat what he saw from either quarterback during spring work. He used the word “embarrassing” to describe interceptions thrown by Watson and Sanders in seven-on-seven periods without a pass rush.
That’s the tension in this thing: both quarterbacks showed flashes, and both were also weighed down by inconsistency. Nothing about a few more weeks of individual training is likely to transform either one into a totally different player.
Still, Sanders made a real push during minicamp. He showed the big arm that made him stand out, and he kept working on timing with Cleveland’s new receivers. His steady improvement may have caught Monken’s attention enough to keep this race alive a little longer.
The snap distribution in OTAs and minicamp backed that up. Monken split reps fairly evenly between Watson and Sanders. Watson got the first chunk of work, but that balance seemed to shift after the blockbuster Myles Garrett trade, with Sanders getting more chances.
That matters because if Watson opens camp with the heavier workload, it could signal where the Browns are leaning, no matter how it looks on the field. He’s in the final year of a disastrous contract, and the team may want one last look under a new coaching staff to see whether anything is left.
Monken doesn’t have to rush a decision once camp begins. There’s no reason to name a starter immediately. But the direction of the competition should still be pretty easy to read based on who is taking the reps.
Sanders, for his part, said he doesn’t see this as a competition at all. He says he’s focused on his own development and on being the best teammate he can be, which is exactly the right approach.
At 24, Sanders fits the timeline of this roster. If he keeps developing the way Monken expects, that only helps the Browns down the road.
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