The 2026 NFL season is still several months away from kicking off, and Cleveland Browns fans are already starting to question who the team’s starting quarterback will be in Week 1. Shedeur Sanders might be the most obvious choice, given what he was able to accomplish in his rookie season, but his first year was far from perfect.
Now that Todd Monken has been hired as the team’s newest head coach, people have wondered what his approach will be for the position heading into a new season. While he has made it clear that the Browns have not decided on who their Week 1 starter is going to be, he did give some feedback about Sanders in a recent interview with reporter Camryn Justice.
“I think you can see the playmaking ability. You can see him as a playmaker. He has a unique way of moving around the pocket, finding receivers down the field. I love that about him,” Monken said.
Caught up with #Browns new HC Todd Monken 1-on-1 after his introductory presser.
We talked plans for the coming weeks/months, what 'elite quality' he might see in Shedeur Sanders, expectations for the team this season and what he's most looking forward to now back in Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/gHEBeCv2ob
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) February 4, 2026
Monken’s talk about Sanders’ playmaking abilities should be an encouraging sign for Browns fans. It’s not necessarily a sign that he’s going to be the starter next year, but it shows that Monken is looking for a quarterback with similar attributes.
He had plenty of experience with that style of QB in Baltimore with Lamar Jackson, which is becoming more common in today’s NFL. If the Browns can step into the new age of quarterback play moving forward, it will help them become competitive that much quicker, especially in a division with Jackson and Joe Burrow.
The NFL has always been quarterback-centric, but as we’ve seen in recent seasons, it’s crucial to have the right player under center to give yourself the best possible chance at a Super Bowl run. It’s safe to say that the Kansas City Chiefs would be a fringe playoff team, at best, without Patrick Mahomes, and that a team like the Buffalo Bills wouldn’t be anywhere close to where they are without Josh Allen.
The Browns are desperately trying to find the quarterback who can propel them into the future, and with any luck, they’ll find that sooner rather than later.
NEXT: Todd Monken Sends A Clear Message About The Browns’ Defense
