Some people thought the Cleveland Browns would have their starting quarterback figured out by this point. Instead, training camp is right around the corner, and the team hasn’t revealed who will be running the offense in 2026, although most people agree it’s a two-man race between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson.
Speaking to 92.3 The Fan, Mary Kay Cabot talked about why Todd Monken hasn’t made his final decision. She said the hard work and output of Sanders has complicated the process in a good way.
He has been impressing the powers that be, and that has left Monken in a tricky spot.
“[Shedeur] came on really strong in OTAs and minicamp. When the chips were down, he rose to the occasion and brought it. If he continues to do that during training camp, then he is going to continue to make this decision very difficult on Todd Monken. His trajectory has been very steep. He’s been on this upward climb, and if he continues to do that, then they’re not gonna make this decision as quickly as they wanted to,” Cabot said.
"(Shedeur) came on really strong in OTA's and minicamp. When the chips were down, he rose to the occasion and brought it. If he continues to do that during training camp then he is going to continue to make this decision difficult on Todd Monken. His trajectory has been very… pic.twitter.com/AKA7GSDW5M
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) July 23, 2026
When the offseason began, many people thought Sanders had shown enough during his rookie season to hold onto the starting quarterback role. But then Watson came to play, proving that he was healthy again and ready to suit up and lead a team as he had in the past.
That led to multiple reports saying that Watson was in the lead, but Sanders hasn’t given up and has repeatedly and consistently shown up in big ways. This is a good problem for the Browns to have because they have two reliable options when it comes to QB1.
This could be enough for Sanders to keep starting in games. Or Monken may see what the young QB is doing and decide that he’ll be the perfect backup behind Watson. That may not be enough for Sanders and his fans, who are insistent that he continues to start in the new year.
The race for this position is tight and clearly impossible to predict, but one thing is certain: it’s coming to an end because Monken will have to make his choice soon.
NEXT: Adam Schefter Just Tried Shedeur Sanders' Actual Workout
