Todd Monken Makes Jaw-Dropping Admission About Browns QB Deshaun Watson

The Cleveland Browns will see a battle for the starting quarterback next season, and already, new head coach Todd Monken has made a wild admission.

Although everything suggests the quarterback battle will revolve around Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, the Browns haven’t revealed who might have the upper hand as offseason workouts begin on April 7.

General manager Andrew Berry also left the door open to bringing in another quarterback. If they do, he indicated a preference for a younger player and said it’s “entirely realistic” that such a newcomer could compete for the starting job. That possibility stands out as Cleveland prepares to host Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson for one of its 30 pre-draft visits.

Lots for Monken to ponder over during what promises to be a busy offseason. Especially as he still needs to catch up on his current players, and he hasn’t seen much film on Watson, one of his quarterbacks.

At the AFC coaches breakfast yesterday, Todd Monken said he hasn’t watched much past film of Deshaun Watson.

Later on, I followed up and asked why Monken wouldn’t watch prior film as he decides to divide QB reps this spring. This is what Monken had to say. pic.twitter.com/O3CXX4mogh
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) April 1, 2026

“I just haven’t drilled down into that,” Monken said.

“Have I watched a little bit of it? Of course, but there’s also some aspects of it, so I would say this. We have crossover tape. Have I seen Deshaun Watson play before? Of course. I saw him play against us when I was in Baltimore.

“Did we play the Cowboys two years ago after Cleveland opened up the season in Dallas? Yes. Is that a great film to watch Deshaun Watson on? Absolutely not.”

Is Watson worthy of the starting QB position? One person certainly thinks so.

Monken has expressed his excitement about working with Watson, the same as he is with Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, with the latter coming off a rookie campaign that left little to be desired.

Monken even admitted during the NFL’s annual meeting in Phoenix that while Sanders has been working out at the team facilities in the early stages of this offseason, Gabriel has not.

But for Watson, one person believes he is worthy of a starting role, and that is Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who described him as a potential “home run,” while admitting last offseason’s Watson trade and contract amounted to a “swing and miss.”

“I was in Cleveland two or three weeks ago, and was working out early, and he was coming in,” Haslam said.

“He’s been in Cleveland most of the winter, and I think that says a lot for his dedication to wanting to be an NFL quarterback and understanding what it takes.”

Time will tell, but the fight for the starting quarterback position next season will be an intriguing one.