Browns Split QB Reps Between Watson, Sanders in Training Camp Battle

Todd Monken arrived at the Cleveland Browns with high expectations for his quarterback room, and three weeks into the offseason program, he was furious. During voluntary organized team activities in late May, the quarterbacks had thrown interceptions in seven-on-seven drills—a situation Monken found so unacceptable he didn't bother hiding his frustration from reporters. "We threw interceptions in 7-on-7 for God's sakes. Who does that?" he said. "There's no pass rush. It was embarrassing." It was an inauspicious beginning to what was supposed to be a compelling battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders for the starting job.

But something shifted in those three weeks that followed. By Thursday, when Monken addressed the media again, the tone had changed entirely. The two quarterbacks had made enough progress that the Browns' first-year head coach was ready to commit to a split-rep approach for training camp. Neither Watson nor Sanders would be named the starter heading into Week 1. Instead, both would get meaningful opportunities to compete once the pads came on and the intensity ratcheted up.

Monken's reasoning was straightforward, if somewhat unusual. He wasn't hedging his bets or buying time. He genuinely believed both men had earned the right to keep competing. "It would feel different if I didn't feel like their progression hadn't gotten to this point where I think they both can start and play winning football," Monken told ESPN. "I'm convinced of it. I'd say it if I didn't. I can't decide now because I think both have earned the opportunity to continue to compete once we put the pads on." The statement carried weight—Monken wasn't the type to sugarcoat things, as his earlier criticism had made clear.

The decision, however, came with a built-in tension. Splitting reps during training camp keeps the competition alive and gives both quarterbacks a genuine shot at the job. But it also means the eventual winner will have less time to build continuity with the first-team offense before the season begins. The Browns would need to decide at some point how long to let the battle play out before committing fully to one man. That calculation—balancing competitive fairness against practical preparation—would define the next several weeks.

Sanders, for his part, seemed unbothered by the uncertainty. When asked whether he felt ahead of or behind Watson, he deflected with the ease of someone who had learned not to get caught up in the noise. "That's nothing I'm focused on," he said. "I'm focused on developing as a player, doing everything, getting as comfortable as I can in the offense and the scheme and playing with confidence." It was the kind of answer that suggested either genuine equanimity or practiced discipline—possibly both. He emphasized that improvement and familiarity with the system mattered more to him than the daily scorekeeping of a quarterback competition.

The Browns had reason to want improvement from both men. Watson and Sanders had both disappointed in their most recent regular season appearances in a Cleveland uniform. The team was banking on a fresh start under Monken, on the idea that better coaching and a clearer system could unlock something that hadn't quite worked before. The split-rep approach was, in a sense, an acknowledgment that the organization wasn't sure which quarterback held the answer—and that both deserved the chance to prove they could be the one.