There’s going to be a big difference in the 2026 version of quarterback competition for the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback job than from the competition that the Browns employed prior to the 2025 season. 

In 2025, then-coach Kevin Stefanski declared an open competition at quarterback between the four quarterbacks on the roster.

It did not work out very well.

The perceived favorite, Kenny Pickett, injured his hamstring in training camp and basically, lost out by default. He was traded to the Raiders with veteran Joe Flacco taking over and ended up starting the first four games before he was traded and the Browns turned to third-round draft pick, Dillon Gabriel, who started five games before injuring his hamstring and fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders took over as the starting quarterback and started the final seven games. 

Despite the talk of a competition, it was really between Pickett and Flacco, who took the majority of the reps in the offseason and both were traded four games into the season. Gabriel received some reps with the first once Pickett was injured, while Sanders received no reps with the first team in training camp, but after the trades of the veteran quarterbacks, Gabriel and Sanders were left to play the bulk of the season. 

The Browns are expected to have an open competition at quarterback between Sanders, Gabriel and Deshaun Watson, who is in the final year of his contract. 

At the owners meetings in Phoenix on Tuesday, first year coach Todd Monken said the reps at quarterback will not be divided equally. 

“I don’t anticipate them being divided evenly,” Monken told reporters that were covering the meetings.

Monken was asked if that would be the case from the beginning. 

“I don’t see it that way,” he said. “I wouldn’t say they’re going to be evenly dispersed, but we’ll definitely disperse them to give ourselves a chance to at least evaluate who we have on the roster, whoever that might be as we go through the offseason.”

Monken said the Browns will begin their offseason program on April 7 and he was asked how he would determine who would be up first in reps at quarterback.Â