Andrew Buller-Russ
While hiring a new head coach in Todd Monken brings plenty of excitement, the biggest talking point revolving around the Cleveland Browns focuses on the starting quarterback competition. Between incumbent favorite Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Taylen Green, there’s a lot to be determined beyond just the starting QB for 2026.
Watson appears to have the edge after “hitting it off” with coach Monken early on. Yet, recently, when Monken was asked to discuss the competition, he revealed that there have been multiple “embarrassing interceptions” during the early portion of organized team activities or OTAs.
“We threw interceptions in 7-on-7 for God’s sakes. Who does that? There’s no pass rush. It was embarrassing,” Monken said.
While Monken appeared disgusted at the time, he wouldn’t provide any additional details, such as whether the first-team or second-team offense was operating against the team’s top defense, too. He didn’t even tell us which quarterback(s) were at fault.
Still, it’s clear that there’s a lot of work to be done, which is to be expected at this stage of the offseason.
Nevertheless, it’s good to see the Browns’ QB room being held to a higher standard after all of the franchise’s struggles at the position. After spending the past three seasons as the offensive coordinator for Lamar Jackson, now it’s up to Monken to maximize the potential inside the QBs of Cleveland.
Related: 2026 NFL QB Rankings After Aaron Rodgers Re-Joins Steelers
