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Monken Keeps Browns QB Race Open as Watson and Shedeur Sanders Impress

The coach plans to wait for padded practices, a live pass rush, and possible preseason games before choosing a Week 1 starter because those settings will reveal who can win.

Overview

  • Todd Monken has not named a starter and said he will continue alternating first‑team reps so he can evaluate both quarterbacks once practices include pads and real pass rush pressure.
  • Through mid‑June OTAs and mandatory minicamp, Deshaun Watson has shown notable physical recovery from multiple surgeries and has been more willing to push the ball downfield.
  • Shedeur Sanders has made clear technical gains in footwork, processing, and poise that staff and GM Andrew Berry called significant after the offseason program.
  • Monken and the coaching staff treat training camp pads and preseason games as the decisive tests because non‑padded drills do not simulate game contact and pressure.
  • How the decision lands will affect roster and roster planning given Watson’s fully guaranteed contract and Sanders’s potential as a long‑term option, so the Browns are balancing short‑term results with future flexibility.