Cleveland’s quarterback competition has generated no shortage of opinions from outside analysts throughout training camp. NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe revealed new information directly from Todd Monken about how the preseason schedule will be used to help settle the battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, giving Browns fans a concrete timeline to watch heading into August.
Wolfe shared what Monken told him about the plan for distributing starts across Cleveland’s three preseason games.
“Monken just told me he’s gonna start one quarterback in the first preseason game, the other will start the second one. And most likely, the leader of the competition’s gonna start the third. He said this week, the next week is gonna decide who gets each of those games,” Wolfe said.
A glimpse into our early breakdown of Shedeur Sanders vs. Deshaun Watson QB battle over Browns live practice footage: pic.twitter.com/kHOx4Vrnzs
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) August 4, 2026
Rather than simply naming a starter outright based on the first week of practices, splitting the first two preseason games between Watson and Sanders gives each quarterback a genuine opportunity to perform in live game action before any real conclusions get drawn. The most telling piece of this plan, though, is Monken’s stated intention to hand the third and final preseason game to whichever quarterback is actually leading the competition at that point, effectively turning that final tune-up game into a confirmation of the starting job.
Given everything that has unfolded through the first six practices, including Sanders taking every first-team rep in two of the last three sessions and posting his most efficient outing of camp on Tuesday, this next stretch becomes even more significant than usual. Every practice from here forward carries real weight not just for its own sake, but specifically because it feeds directly into Monken’s plan for structuring the preseason schedule.
None of this guarantees a final decision arrives by the end of the preseason, and Andrew Berry has been consistent in stating that both quarterbacks will likely see game action at some point in 2026 regardless of who wins the job outright. Still, for those trying to track the trajectory of this competition, Monken’s stated plan gives Browns fans a legitimate benchmark to watch as camp continues building toward those all-important preseason snaps.
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