Two Reasons Why the Cleveland Browns Shouldn’t Host Quarterback Competition in 2026

Sometimes in life, you just need to choose.

And that’s exactly what the Cleveland Browns should do with their quarterback situation ahead of training camp this summer.

Last camp, the Browns hosted a rare four-man quarterback competition with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. The team would name Flacco the starting quarterback during the preseason, but spent several months splitting snaps between all four passers.

Already, the speculation is swirling that new head coach Todd Monken could host another quarterback competition with Sanders, Gabriel and Deshaun Watson, who is finally healthy from back-to-back ruptured Achilles tendons.

Are we heading towards a Deshaun Watson vs Shedeur Sanders QB battle? #DawgPound @JoshCribbs16 & @PhilTaylor98 debate. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/bfvz3HtSgI
— The Top Dawgs Show (@TopDawgShow) February 12, 2026

Last season’s quarterback competition proved to be a gigantic waste of time, as the team ended up needing three quarterbacks just to reach the finish line of the season. The Browns only won five games and they need to put an end to the constant QB carousel.

Here are two more big reasons why the Browns should not host a quarterback competition this offseason.

1. It never accomplishes anything

Who is the last team to host a quarterback competition and find something meaningful? The Seattle Seahawks with Russell Wilson against Matt Flynn in 2012? That was over two decades ago.

The NFL is supposed to be a copycat league, but think about how many quarterback competitions have failed since then. In Cleveland alone, at least a handful.

Committing to one, specific quarterback has been a real challenge for the Browns since they returned in 1999. But constantly churning out mid-tier talent in the name of competition isn’t the way of getting off of this ride.

2. The answer should be obvious

By the time training camp rolls around, the answer for the Browns at quarterback needs to be obvious. Here is how they accomplish that.

If the team doesn’t add a quarterback through free agency, trade or the draft, it means that Sanders, Gabriel and Watson are the only three on the roster. In that scenario, Sanders should be announced as the team’s starting quarterback as the youngster showed more promise than Gabriel during their rookie season. Just 24 years old, Sanders has way more upside than Watson, who is returning from three devastating injuries and more than two dozen civil settlements.

If the team adds a quarterback in free agency or via trade, there’s your answer. The Browns could explore a free agent quarterback like Malik Willis or Kirk Cousins, but they should only do so if they believe that veteran gives the team a better chance of winning games than Sanders.

There’s really no reason to draft another project quarterback unless somebody trades for Gabriel or Sanders, which feels unlikely. If the Browns fall in love with Alabama’s Ty Simpson in the first round, then he should be the guy that has the keys to the franchise moving forward.

Until the Browns drop the quarterback competition cycle, they’re going to have a hard time getting through the season with just one passer. That makes it very hard to identify a true franchise quarterback. At some point, the Browns will need to commit to somebody.

Maybe their franchise quarterback isn’t currently on the roster. That’s a probable outcome.

But unless they commit to somebody, it’s going to be impossible to find out.

1. It never accomplishes anything

2. The answer should be obvious

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