It was no secret that whichever team selected Shedeur Sanders in the last Draft would immediately be under the spotlight. Perhaps that’s why many teams passed on him, despite the fact that he was projected to be a first-round pick. However, the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback fell all the way to the fifth round, where he was selected by the Cleveland Browns.
From that moment on, the spotlight shifted to the Browns, especially after Shedeur Sanders began the preseason as the team’s fourth option, behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. The pressure on Kevin Stefanski was intense; his job was under a microscope, and everything revolved around Sanders.
Even so, Stefanski withstood the pressure and named Sanders the starter when Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion in Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens. From that point forward, Sanders took command of the offense and never relinquished the starting role. There is no doubt he was the quarterback who looked the best among the Browns, although that ultimately was not enough.
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Todd Monken must decide on his starter
The reason Kevin Stefanski was let go from the Cleveland Browns was his inability to fix the quarterback position, and that is now the main objective for Todd Monken-an offensive mind who helped Lamar Jackson win MVP. Monken currently has Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel on the roster, although that does not guarantee any of them will be the starter, as he could still look outside the team in free agency.
Denzel Ward, one of the leaders of the Browns’ defense, spoke about the quarterback competition on the team: “That’s not my decision to make. We have guys on the roster who will provide good competition. May the best guy win,” the defensive back said on the Up & Adams show.
In recent hours, reports have suggested that Todd Monken may not even be fully committed to any of the quarterbacks currently on the Browns’ roster. He could turn to free agency and pursue Malik Willis, who has performed well as a backup and is a dual-threat quarterback, similar to the type of player Monken worked with in Lamar Jackson.
It’s worth remembering that Monken led the Ravens’ offense to a top-five ranking in the league in both 2023 and 2024. In 2025, injuries to Lamar Jackson were the only reason he couldn’t repeat that success. As a result, Monken could be the right head coach to fix the offense, especially considering that the Browns’ defense is one of the most competitive units in the league.
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