CLEVELAND, Ohio — The viral social media clip spread like wildfire through Browns Nation on Friday. New head coach Todd Monken greeted second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders with unmistakable enthusiasm, and the football world immediately connected the dots.

“Shedeur Sanders, as we know, is the content king, the absolute content king,” said Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot on the Orange and Brown Talk podcast. “And that is a major reason why he was added to the Pro Bowl games for Tuesday night.”

But beyond the social media excitement lies a far more consequential storyline: a legitimate quarterback controversy brewing in Berea.

The Browns find themselves in a unique predicament. They have a $230 million quarterback in Deshaun Watson who’s coming off multiple surgeries and has yet to recapture the magic that once made him a three-time Pro Bowler. Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders — a fifth-round pick who went 3-4 as a starter last season — has shown flashes of potential that have the organization intrigued.

Adding another layer to this saga is Monken’s pre-existing relationship with Sanders. During the viral clip, Monken reminded Sanders that the Ravens had wanted to draft him. It was also revealed that Sanders received an offer from Georgia when Monken was offensive coordinator there.

“The reality of the situation with the Cleveland Browns right now is that they have two unknowns,” explained Cabot. “And I don’t even really think necessarily that we can talk about Dillon Gabriel as being in the mix for the starting job. It seems like it is really down to Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders at this moment competing for the starting job.”

From a financial perspective, the Browns would love nothing more than for Sanders to seize the role.

“I’m sure the Cleveland Browns would love it too, if Shedeur can live up to the potential that they think he has and they can get away with starting a fifth-round quarterback who costs them pennies on the dollar over the next how-many-ever years,” noted Cabot.

But film analyst Lance Reisland offered a sobering reality about Watson’s pure talent: “If you’re going to say without injury, make no question Deshaun Watson is the most talented guy in that room. Pure passer wise, I’ve watched almost every throw of Deshaun Watson since he got to Cleveland. There’s a big difference when Deshaun Watson throws the ball and most others, not just the guys on Browns. Deshaun Watson can spin it.”

Monken’s track record suggests he values mobility in his quarterbacks, which could favor Watson. A clip recently circulating from a Ravens team meeting shows Monken emphasizing that “the scramble drill is the play you’re going to run the most in football” and that “you can’t have an explosive offense without a mobile quarterback.”

Ultimately, the decision may come down to health.

“If he’s healthy, I think Todd Monken can get something out of Deshaun Watson that most people do not believe is still there,” said Cabot.

One thing seems certain: unlike last season’s four-way competition that produced a chaotic quarterback room, Monken is likely to streamline the process, focusing on just two candidates to build proper chemistry with receivers.

Whatever the outcome, the Browns’ 2026 season will be defined by who wins this quarterback battle — and the viral clip of Monken and Sanders may be just the opening salvo in what promises to be Cleveland’s most scrutinized position battle.

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