The Cleveland Browns quarterback competition has drawn strong opinions from all corners of the football world this summer, and one former NFL general manager is not budging on where he stands. Mike Tannenbaum made his case clear during a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, arguing that Cleveland needs to commit to Shedeur Sanders this season regardless of how the early camp battle with Deshaun Watson plays out.
Tannenbaum pointed to Sanders’ skill set and the bigger picture Todd Monken needs to consider before settling on a starter.
“The Browns have gotta go with Shedeur Sanders. He can make all the throws and he can process well. Todd Monken has to see what he has in him this season,” Tannenbaum said.
"The Browns have gotta go with Shedeur Sanders..
He can make all the throws and he can process well..
Todd Monken has to see what he has in him this season" ~ @RealTannenbaum #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Jab46WCuSN
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 30, 2026
Sanders has done plenty this summer to support that argument. He closed out his rookie season with back-to-back wins and has continued building chemistry with rookie weapons like KC Concepcion through the opening days of training camp.
Not everyone sees this competition the same, however. Many insiders have still projected Watson as the likely Week 1 starter given his health and early spring performance, while local reporting out of camp has suggested the eye test through two practices has actually favored Sanders more than the numbers indicate.
For Monken, the decision ultimately comes down to balancing what gives this team the best chance to win games right now against what the organization needs to learn about its long-term answer at the position. Tannenbaum’s take represents one clear side of that debate, arguing that finding out what Sanders truly has matters more this season than simply choosing the safer short-term option. How Monken ultimately weighs those competing priorities will shape the rest of this Browns season, regardless of which quarterback wins the job when it is all said and done.
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