Todd Monken inherited a quarterback room that looks less like a depth chart and more like a triage unit. The new Cleveland Browns head coach is attempting to sell an open competition this spring between a fifth-round sophomore, a concussed draft pick, and a highly paid ghost.
The situation in Cleveland is blindingly obvious to anyone outside the facility. Shedeur Sanders finished the 2025 season with consecutive wins and provided the only functional offense of the year. Monken admitted at the AFC coaches breakfast that offseason reps will not be divided evenly among the quarterbacks, noting the team wants to use the reps to evaluate who they have on the roster. That player is Sanders. The alternatives simply defy logic.
Illusion of Choice in the Browns’ Quarterback Competition
ESPN Cleveland radio host Tony Rizzo captured the local frustration perfectly on recent broadcasts. He pointed out the absurdity of debating the starter when comparing Sanders to the rest of the room. Rizzo reminded listeners that Sanders received zero training camp reps before being thrown to the Ravens in Week 11.
“There’s a guy who got concussed and never played again,” Rizzo said on ESPN Cleveland, referencing Dillon Gabriel. “There’s a guy who hadn’t played in four years, coming off double Achilles, and a kid that won his last two games. And we’re sitting here talking about who should be the f**king starter?!”
“HOW IN THE HELL IS SHEDEUR NOT THE STARTING QB AT THIS MOMENT???,” – Rizz wants to know what’s going on with the Browns QB situation.
Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/L7ZlKTNpC8
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) April 1, 2026
Gabriel went 1-5 before a concussion ended his rookie campaign. The former third-round pick struggled to adapt to the professional game, completing just 110 passes for 937 yards. Watson suffered an Achilles rupture in Week 7 of the 2024 season and then re-ruptured the tendon, wiping out his entire 2025 season. Watson has barely seen the field since signing his record-breaking contract.
A legitimate competition requires legitimate competitors. The Browns currently have one healthy, capable signal-caller on the roster.
Why Cleveland Is Delaying the Inevitable with Shedeur Sanders
Holding a mock competition serves one specific purpose for the organization. It allows the front office to delay a painful financial reckoning. Naming Sanders the unquestioned starter right now requires officially closing the book on Deshaun Watson.
The franchise committed unprecedented guaranteed money to acquire Watson in 2022. Admitting a Day 3 draft pick permanently unseated him is a massive pill for general manager Andrew Berry to swallow. The Browns can frame the offseason workout program as a period of evaluation.
They begin voluntary workouts on April 7, the first day Monken gets his quarterbacks on the grass. The staff can let Watson throw in individual drills and claim he is pushing for the job. Team owner Jimmy Haslam even told reporters at the Annual League Meeting that Watson has a fresh start and a great chance to compete.
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None of that optimism changes the math on the field. Sanders just switched back to his college No. 2 jersey following the departure of wideout DeAndre Carter. He threw for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns, posting an abysmal 56.9 PFSN QB Impact Score, in his brief audition last season. Sanders is the only quarterback in the building with positive momentum. Monken will eventually have to drop the facade and hand the second-year passer the keys permanently.
