Todd Monken has a tough task ahead of his first season as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. The 60-year-old tactician was hired to lead the four-time NFL champions.
The Browns have been struggling the past two seasons. They won only a total of eight games, and Monken is expected to help them get over the hump.
The quarterback position is one of the first major decisions for Cleveland’s new head coach. Monken must decide whether to start Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson.
Watson has been with the Browns since the 2022 season. However, the seven-year veteran missed the whole 2025 campaign after he re-ruptured his right Achilles tendon.
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Sanders, on the other hand, is entering his second NFL season. He started his rookie campaign as a backup, but finished it as a starter in the last seven games. The 24-year-old quarterback finished with 120 completions for 1,400 passing yards and seven touchdowns.
Many people believe that Sanders is still not a starting-quality QB despite being selected as a Pro Bowl alternate last year.
According to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network, Monken announced his decision to give both quarterbacks the chance to start in the first two preseason games. Their first preseason game is on August 15 against the Chicago Bears. They will then travel to Huntington Bank Field on August 22 to face the Buffalo Bills.
"[Monken] said this about the quarterback race: 'I want one of these guys to make it clear to me. Make it clear who is the guy with their play,'" Wolfe reported.
"[Monken] has been very impressed with Shedeur Sanders over the last four months and how he's grown, particularly with his operation, but he still has some room to go.
"He said his challenge for Shedeur: 'Get in and out of the huddle a little cleaner, be a little faster with your decision-making. So me as a coach, I don't have anxiety coaching you.'"
Cleveland’s third preseason game will be against the New England Patriots on August 27. Monken indicated that whoever gets the start in that game will likely be the starting QB in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
