The Cleveland Browns find themselves in a familiar situation heading into the 2026 NFL season. They’ve struggled to find a quarterback to take the reins for more than a few seasons, which has led to a lot of roster changeover and a coaching carousel.
After a 2025 campaign in which neither Dillon Gabriel nor Shedeur Sanders established themselves as the starter and Deshaun Watson was injured for the entire season, the Browns are effectively back to square one. There have been rumors that this is a two-horse race between Sanders and Watson, and there are conflicting reports about which QB is the clubhouse leader.
New head coach Todd Monken is keeping things close to the vest, and because the Browns haven’t had many practices open to the public yet, it’s hard to tell what they’re thinking. Thankfully, players are open and honest about what’s going on. Veteran wideout Jerry Jeudy recently had an interview shared via reporter Camryn Justice, indicating that Sanders is looking different heading into his second season.
“Being more comfortable, being more confident, and that comes with repetition. Having that first year to that second year jump, you can see him out here on the field just being a lot more comfortable, confident, and in command,” Jeudy said.
#Browns WR Jerry Jeudy on Shedeur Sanders:
"Being more comfortable, being more confident and that comes with repetition. Having that first year to that second year jump, you can see him out here on the field just being a lot more comfortable, confident and in command." pic.twitter.com/J2Oq8rY4wn
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) May 27, 2026
As Jeudy noted, last year’s fifth-round QB isn’t messing around. With the reports that Watson could be hot on his tail for the starting gig, his work ethic has only gotten stronger as he hopes to become the team’s QB come Week 1.
The front office believes in Monken’s ability to turn this team around, especially on the offensive side of the ball. He’s worked with Lamar Jackson for the last few seasons, so he knows what an elite quarterback with incredibly high upside looks like.
Whether that QB is Sanders or Watson remains to be seen, but it’s hard to ignore the positivity surrounding Sanders at the moment. He’s not coming off a major injury like Watson, and his youth and overall athleticism could serve him well in a Monken-led offense.
It will be interesting to see how patient Monken is with these two QBs. If the Week 1 starter gets off to a slow start and the overall offensive vibe is not positive after a few weeks, a change could happen sooner rather than later, giving the other signal-caller a chance to thrive in his offense.
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