The Most Concerning Development From Browns Minicamp

The Cleveland Browns have a new energy to start the Todd Monken era. But there was one concerning development.

Jun 11, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) looks to pass during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

There was a new energy around Berea for Todd Monken’s first minicamp as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Even after Cleveland’s blockbuster Myles Garrett trade with the Los Angeles Rams, there’s a belief that the Browns could be heading in the right direction as a young organization on the rise.

But, there was one concerning development.

All the way back at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Browns head coach Todd Monken stated that in a dream world, he’d like to have Cleveland’s starting quarterback identified at the end of mandatory veteran minicamp.

Well, minicamp is in the rearview mirror, and Monken announced that the quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders will bleed into training camp later this summer. It’s probably Monken’s first realization since rejoining the organization for the first time since 2019 that this is the Browns, which rarely ever reflects a perfect world, especially when it comes to quarterbacks.

Despite having an early lead in the competition this offseason, Watson never really separated himself from Sanders throughout the spring. The 30-year-old quarterback is getting a “clean slate” with this new coaching staff now that he’s finally healthy. But Watson’s inaccurate passes were on full display throughout voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp.

In fact, Monken used the word “embarrassing” to describe interceptions thrown by Watson and Sanders in seven-on-seven drills, where the team isn’t sending a pass rush.

It’s good that Watson never doubted that he’d play in the NFL again. An elite-level athlete should have that sort of mental confidence. 

But Watson declared that his recent for never doubting that he’d get another opportunity in Cleveland came from “internal conversations,” leading some to believe that this isn’t really a competition, instead just delaying the inevitable of naming a washed up quarterback as the team’s starter. 

What no QB announcement means for the future

It’s probably not the best that Monken hasn’t named a starting quarterback. After all, they need to start winning games in the middle of September, not the middle of June. There’s no reason to rush into a decision like this.

Even though Cleveland’s new head coach is really trying his best to sell this competition with “two starting caliber quarterbacks,” it’s hard to believe that the 60-year-old head coach enjoys that position room as much as he’s leading on. Just a few months ago, he was coaching Lamar Jackson with an opportunity to take the Baltimore Ravens back into the postseason.

Throughout a handful of practices without the team in pads, this organization clearly doesn’t have their own version of Jackson quite yet.

And maybe that’s part of Monken’s role here. Perhaps he can develop Sanders into a fifth-round lottery jackpot, allowing Berry to use Cleveland’s war chest of premium draft picks on other positions instead of a premier quarterback. 

But as of right now, it’s hard to see Watson or Sanders as the long-term solution in Cleveland. 

It feels like the most concerning development from Browns minicamp was how similar this quarterback room looked compared to last season, where they were one of the worst offenses in the NFL for the second straight season.