INDIANAPOLIS — New Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken raved about the “elite” skills he’s seen from Shedeur Sanders. Only he hasn’t seen enough to hand him the starting quarterback job.
In fact, Monken declared it an “open competition” for that job, presumably between Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson — and possibly even others. It’s the kind of messy, almost untenable situation the Browns have dealt with at quarterback since trading away Baker Mayfield three years ago.
And it’s a mess that will likely linger over the franchise all summer long, and maybe longer.
“I don’t know why it wouldn’t be an open competition,” Monken said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “And I don’t mean that harshly, but I don’t think there’s enough on film over the last couple of years one way or the other to say, ‘Boy, we have a starter at quarterback’ yet.”
That’s probably true. Despite the unabating hype of his many supporters, the 24-year-old Sanders had an unremarkable rookie season. The fifth-round pick did close out the year as the starter and produced some highlight-reel plays. But like most rookies, he was bogged down by inconsistency. He completed just 56.6% of his passes while throwing for seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel competed for the Browns’ backup job last offseason. This summer, they’re on track to compete for the starting role. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Gabriel, the Browns’ 25-year-old third-round pick, wasn’t much better, but he was a bit steadier in his six starts (and 10 appearances). He completed 59.9% of his passes for seven touchdowns and just two interceptions.
The Browns, however, went 1-5 when Dillon started and 3-4 with Sanders. And Sanders was clearly the more electric of the two. Even Monken intimated he has a high ceiling.
“I think what you see is elite playmaking ability,” Monken said. “That’s in him. You’ve seen it. We’ve seen it. You saw it in college. You saw it on tape last year. Sure, there’s a ways to go. What first-year player doesn’t have a long way to go? So I’m excited to get started with him.”
But Sanders isn’t the only quarterback that seemed to excite Monken. Making the situation even more complicated in Cleveland is the possible return of the now-30-year-old Watson, who is finally entering the final year of the fully guaranteed, $230 million contract that has weighed down the franchise since they traded for him in 2022. He hasn’t appeared in a game since October 2024, when he suffered the first of two tears to his right Achilles tendon, so he’s probably a long shot to beat out Sanders or Gabriel.
But if he’s healthy, Monken said it would be “completely unfair” to rule him out.
“I think any time that you have a player that, at one time, has exhibited the skill set at an elite level, I think you’re always going to give them the benefit of the doubt that somehow we might be able to get that out of him again,” Monken said. “And I think that’s how you should look at every player. I’m going to let it play out.
“Now you’re going to have some preconceived notions, obviously, because we have prior evidence. But I don’t decide who plays. The players decide who plays.”
Deshaun Watson has been sidelined by injury since midway through the 2024 season. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
And it’s possible that Sanders, Gabriel and Watson won’t be the only quarterbacks in that process either. Both Monken and general manager Andrew Berry hinted over the past two days that the Browns could even add another quarterback to the mix, either via free agency or the draft. The Browns presumably will pass on taking a QB with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 draft, but they have another first-round selection (No. 24) and a high second-rounder (No. 39).
Adding a quarterback that high seems crazy on one hand. At the same time, it sounds like a very Browns thing to do. Just last year, they selected Gabriel and Sanders with consecutive selections.
For now, though, there are only three QBs in the competition, and Monken doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to name a starter. While he’d ideally prefer to know his No. 1 by the start of training camp, he seemed willing to let the indecision that has haunted the franchise for several years go on longer than that.
“You would hope that’s the case, that by the time you get to training camp the reps that you’re giving to a quarterback is for your starter,” he said. “Whether we get to that place, I don’t know. That’ll be determined in the offseason as part of it. It’s just another part of the piece.”
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