The most anticipated position battle in the NFL going into 2026 is the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback position. New head coach Todd Monken comes in ready for the evaluation period with an open mind.
Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders Emerge as Primary Contenders
For the most part, it sounds as though the primary two competitors for the Browns’ starting job are Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. Second-year passer Dillon Gabriel was mentioned in Monken’s press conference at the 2026 NFL League Meetings on Tuesday, but Monken said Gabriel is not believed to have been working out at the team’s facility, whereas Sanders has.
“It’s too early to really evaluate [Sanders], other than it’s been great that he’s been in the building,” Monken said in Phoenix on Tuesday. “It’s refreshing to see a player that recognizes where he’s at and where he wants to get to.”
A quarterback battle can have high stakes for a team’s offense, but there’s also a mental component to the situation. Monken mentioned that, as a head coach in his first year with the Browns organization, there’s a strong leadership component that plays not only into how the quarterbacks manage the situation but also how he manages it as a coach, too.
“The quarterback leadership’s critical, but it happens organically,” Monken explained. “I don’t think you can force somebody to be a leader that’s not. I think you can talk to them about how they carry themselves, their practice habits, their routine. I think that builds confidence with the players around them.
“I can’t speak to being new [to the head coaching role] and what that will do. We’ll let it play out.”
Watson was acquired in a blockbuster trade in 2022, though his tenure with Cleveland has been marred by inconsistency, injuries, and controversy. In his four seasons with the team, he’s started in just 19 games, throwing 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a passer rating of only 80.7.
Sanders came to Cleveland as a highly touted draft acquisition, falling to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after having been a projected first-round pick for much of the pre-draft process. He also faced plenty of inconsistency, ranking No. 42 in the NFL with a 56.9 PFSN QB Impact Score.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
However, Sanders still showed some encouraging flashes as a rookie, having gone a respectable 3-4 as the starter on a Browns team that finished the year at 5-12. He also earned an alternate Pro Bowl recognition for his efforts.
