3 Big Things Todd Monken Said About Browns QB Competition at Day 1 of Training Camp

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken addressed reporters on Wednesday afternoon before the team took the practice field for their first training camp session.

All eyes will be on the quarterback position in Cleveland this summer, as Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are competing to be named the starter for the Browns. Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green won’t get as much attention, but the Browns will need to sort out their final three quarterbacks before Week 1.

Before the Browns took the practice field on Wednesday, here are three main takeaways from what Monken said about the quarterback competition.

1. Watson and Sanders will split reps

Even though it’s impossible to perfectly divide the reps, Monken and new offensive coordinator Travis Switzer did a nice job of making sure everything was fair during spring practices.

That trend will continue into training camp, as Watson and Sanders are scheduled to split reps with the starters.

Keep an eye on if or when this changes.

If one quarterback starts getting more starting reps than the other, the Browns could be getting closer to making a decision on their starter. It’s unlikely that they will change how the reps are divided until a few practices into this training camp.

2. No definite timeline on naming QB1

Monken wasn’t ready to say when a starting quarterback announcement could happen.

Back at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, the 60-year-old head coach stated that in a dream world, a team would have a starting quarterback announced by the end of mandatory minicamp in the spring.

That wasn’t the case for the Browns in Monken’s first season, as he decided to let Sanders and Watson continue competing in training camp.

The Browns are allowed to have up to 16 padded practices this training camp. Expect Monken to use a good handful of those sessions before naming a starter. The Browns will host the Buffalo Bills for joint practices on August 20. Two days later, they will host the Bills for a preseason game at Huntington Bank Field.

Surprises are possible, but now that this competition has bled into the summer, there’s a possibility that the Browns decide to be very patient and wait to formally announce a starting quarterback until the Bills leave town at the end of August.

3. Starters will play in the preseason

During Kevin Stefanski’s six years coaching the Browns, there wasn’t ever much certainty about how he’d treat the preseason. Right away, Monken is letting it be known that starters will participate in Cleveland’s three preseason games.

Last season, Sanders impressed during his first preseason action against the Carolina Panthers. He came back to reality in Cleveland’s preseason finale, where the fifth-round quarterback was sacked plenty of times against the Los Angeles Rams.

This preseason, Monken will be able to use the preseason to see how all of his starters, but importantly the quarterbacks, look in live, game reps against opposing defenses.

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