Cleveland Browns fans are no strangers to quarterback battles, but at least this year’s battle only has two members, which is half as many as the nightmarish four-man battle of last offseason that yielded catastrophic results. It’s only going to be Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders this summer, but for the benefit of everyone involved, it would be best if this process didn’t get drawn out all through training camp like last year.
The earlier the Browns can land on a QB1, the better, and ESPN’s Tony Grossi believes that decision could come quite soon. He doesn’t foresee a long training camp battle like 2025 and thinks new head coach Todd Monken is just about ready to name his starter.
During a recent discussion on ESPN Cleveland, Grossi spoke about how he believes a QB1 announcement is imminent. He didn’t make any specific predictions, but all signs point to it being Deshaun Watson.
“Monken is getting close to naming his No. 1 quarterback,” Grossi said.
"Monken is getting close to naming his no. 1 QB," – @TonyGrossi thinks that a QB1 decision for training camp is coming 👀
Who do you think it will be? pic.twitter.com/cEeGOzjQDO
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 3, 2026
Obviously, there has been bigger news coming out of Cleveland this week as the defense now has to figure out how to fill the Myles Garrett-sized void both on the field and in the locker room, but Jared Verse is here and he isn’t going anywhere. Nobody expects him to collect 23 sacks in 2026, but he is an exciting young talent who will do his best to continue his progression as this team’s next dominant pass rusher.
The quarterback question is still the biggest issue plaguing this team at the moment and if it doesn’t get resolved, it doesn’t matter who is lining up on the other side of the ball. The Garrett trade is also another potential indicator that it doesn’t ultimately matter much who wins between Watson and Sanders because this trade sends a message that this team is prioritizing the future, which could mean that a new potential franchise quarterback is on the way in 2027.
Monken doesn’t seem like the type of coach to let this situation linger all the way up until Week 1. He’ll name Watson the starter, and he’ll likely do it fairly soon so everyone on the roster has more time to adjust accordingly.
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