Todd Monken’s Preseason Plan for Cleveland Sets Up Sanders–Watson Showdown at QB

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken has mapped out the first stage of the team’s quarterback competition: Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson will each start one of Cleveland‘s first two preseason games, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.

One will open against the Chicago Bears on Aug. 15; the other against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 22. Monken has not yet determined who goes first, but it will likely be whoever performs better in practice this week.

The quarterback leading the competition after those two games will then likely start the preseason finale against the New England Patriots on Aug. 27. The structure is clear: Monken wants both passers evaluated under live conditions before naming a Week 1 starter.

Monken told Wolfe, “I want one of these guys to make it clear to me that they’re the guy with their play.”

Veteran vs. Young Gun

Cleveland acquired Watson in March 2022 on a fully guaranteed 5-year, $230 million contract, surrendering three first-round picks in the process. Since then, Watson has played in only 19 games. That’s after a combination of suspension and injuries, most recently a torn Achilles tendon that required two surgeries and cost him the entire 2025 season.

Sanders, drafted in the fifth round in 2025, entered last season buried on the depth chart and inactive on game days. He worked his way into the lineup, made his debut in Week 11 against the Ravens, and finished the year as the starter for the final seven games, posting a 3-4 record with wins over the Steelers and Bengals to close the season.

Watson has had a rough start to camp, throwing six interceptions through the install period, per Wolfe. Monken acknowledged the competition is still early, but the interceptions are a point of differentiation. The veteran QB is returning from his second Achilles surgery and trying to recapture the form that earned him three Pro Bowl selections.

Dillon Gabriel, the 2025 third-round pick who made six starts as a rookie, remains a wild card. He’ll see significant preseason work and has drawn early positive reviews in camp.