Browns QB Competition Deeper Than Shedeur Sanders vs. Deshaun Watson

The Cleveland Browns will likely have an odd man out in their four-man quarterback room by the end of training camp.

Cleveland Browns quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson take part in a drill on the first day of minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus of the Cleveland Browns in Berea, Ohio on June 9, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

All eyes will be on Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson when they report to Cleveland Browns training camp next week.

Browns head coach Todd Monken is allowing his starting quarterback competition to bleed into camp despite initially preferring to name a starter before the end of spring practices.

But Sanders came on strong, and both quarterbacks showed enough promise for Monken wanting the competition to continue in Berea until the Browns are allowed to put on the pads later in training camp.

This competition will be deeper than just Sanders and Watson. 

Of course, one of those two will be named Cleveland’s Week 1 starter.

The Browns currently have four quarterbacks on their roster. Browns general manager Andrew Berry has been known for preseason quarterback trades. There’s almost no world where they carry all four of Watson, Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green into the regular season.

The good news for Monken and Berry is that this is a decision that doesn’t need to be made until the end of training camp. Because the quarterback position is such a question mark for the Browns heading into Monken’s first season, the team should give all four of them some action during the preseason.

But as they whittle down their roster to the initial 53, something is going to have to shake loose in this quarterback room.

Could Gabriel be the odd man out?

A source told Browns On SI that an AFC North foe was planning to draft Green in the sixth round. However, the 6-foot-6 quarterback ended up in Cleveland, as the Browns used the first overall selection of Round 6 on him. 

That’s bad news for Gabriel.

Even though the Browns used a third rounder on him in the 2025 NFL Draft, Gabriel doesn’t fit what this new coaching staff is typically looking for in quarterbacks. Green fits the mold better, as an athletic quarterback that can make explosive plays out of structure. If Berry feels like he can’t sneak Green through waivers and onto the practice squad because of interest in the division, keeping him rostered as Cleveland’s third quarterback over Gabriel would be the difficult decision to make.

Gabriel’s stats from his limited action as a rookie weren’t awful, even though the games he started were a dreadful watch. Perhaps someone would float the Browns a late-round draft pick for a smart quarterback who would be a good backup in the right environment?

If not, the Browns would have a tough pill to swallow – releasing a top 100 pick from last year’s draft class.

Could the Browns trade Sanders if he doesn’t win the starting job?

There’s a belief amongst some fans and pundits that Sanders’ popularity would hamper his ability to be a quality backup in the NFL. If Watson wins the job and looks shaky, the natural reaction from fans would be to start pounding the drum for Sanders to see more action.

Even though QB-needy teams like the New York Jets or Arizona Cardinals could express interest in Sanders, who showed promise during his first seven starts last year in Cleveland, the Browns should keep him.

If Watson plays poorly or gets injured, Gabriel or Green would put Monken’s first season in serious jeopardy. Sanders at least brings an ability to stretch the field, and he showed enough promise to continue developing. Flipping him for a late-round pick wouldn’t make sense.

Someone is going to be off of this roster by the end of the preseason. It’s the brutal business of the NFL, even if the Browns genuinely like all four of these quarterbacks.