Shedeur Sanders first met Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken but HC has heart out for veteran Deshaun Watson (Image via Getty: Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, Todd Monken) When the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, was hired by the Cleveland Browns as their head coach for the 2026 season, Browns’ no-longer-a-rookie quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, went to meet him in person.A viral video showed both of them shaking hands. Then Monken even pulled Sanders’ shoulder and said, “Hey, we tried to draft your a** last year for God’s sake! It all worked out. You remember that, right?”The last starting signal caller chuckled and said, “That’s what I was about to tell you…” Monken responded, “Someday, we’ll get a chance to talk about that,” and that day should have come. But what happens instead?
Todd Monken says Deshaun Watson has legit shot at starter role for Cleveland Browns
In a recent interview at the NFL Combine, Monken said he would not decide who’d start in 2026. He also declared that a veteran quarterback, Deshaun Watson, who has not played since 2024, would get a legit shot at the starter’s role. Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot shared an interview clip of Monken on X, where he explains why Watson might have a shot at a starter role. “When you have a player that at one time has exhibited the skill set at an elite level,” the coach said. “I think you’re always going to give them the benefit of the doubt that somehow we might be able to get that out of them again. But I think that’s how you should look at every player. I’m gonna let it play out.I think it’d be completely unfair, just like it would be in any grassroots setting: at a history exam, all the students walk in, and before they’ve actually given any exam, you give them a grade. Well, how would you give them a grade? Based on male, female, race, how they look, how they’re dressed? I think that’s unfair.Now, you’re gonna have some preconceived notions, obviously, because we have prior evidence. But I don’t decide who plays. The players decide who plays. I’ve never decided who plays.”Long story short, it looks like there would be a quarterback competition 2.0 in Cleveland. As if it wasn’t enough for the 2025 season when six, yes, six QBs fought for a single spot: starter role at the Browns. What’s so exciting about this? Only a quarterback can understand.But despite being the most coveted role in the 2025 offseason, the season record did not feel like the QB battle had come to fruition! With only five wins and 12 losses, Cleveland ranked last in the AFC North.Their 2025 offseason QB battle featured veteran Joe Flacco, who was injured midway through; rookie Dillion Gabriel, who struggled; and Shedeur Sanders, who faced tougher matchups but had very little time to acclimatize.Kenny Pickett was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders before the season. Tyler Huntley was also released even before the season began. Who’s at fault? The head coach, Kevin Stefanski? Or the front office… well, now that the head coach has changed, the QB battle is back! Now, Sanders, Gabriel, and Watson may be the only contenders for the most coveted role: starting quarterback!Unless the front office decides to use their sixth overall pick to bring in another blockbuster rookie signal caller just to stir things up in the quarterback chamber…only time will tell.