Todd Monken Finally Shares When Browns Will Learn Preseason Starting Quarterback

The Cleveland Browns certainly are keeping their quarterback plans as quiet as possible, but here's everything we know.

Jul 30, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken talks to the media during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken is keeping his quarterback plans very close to the chest.

But on Wednesday, the first-time head coach told reporters that he will inform Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders of which one of them is going to start Saturday’s preseason game against the Chicago Bears after practice.

Monken has already decided whether Watson or Sanders will start the preseason opener, but both quarterbacks will get the message from their head coach later Wednesday afternoon.

The preseason games will be significant for this competition. Throughout the first dozen training camp practices, Watson has more reps with the starting offense. But the 30-year-old veteran has also thrown more interceptions than Sanders, who has consistently developed over the course of the offseason.

Watson and Sanders will each start a preseason game for the Browns. It’s likely that a formal announcement of who won the competition could happen after Cleveland’s second preseason game.

Against the Bears, the starting offensive is likely to play the first drive. It’s possible that the starting quarterback could play the first half of each preseason game. 

Monken’s decision will boil down to which quarterback he believes will give the Browns the best chance to win against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1.

Inside the quarterback competition so far

Watson has more snaps with the starting offense so far because of Saturday’s switch in the rotation. Since spring practices, Monken has been alternating days between Watson and Sanders with the starters. But on Saturday, Watson was awarded a second-straight day of reps with the starting offense, snapping the cycle and giving him more reps than Sanders overall.

A big area of focus in this particular competition is which quarterback can efficiently run the entire operation. Monken’s offense puts a lot on the plate for quarterbacks, so Cleveland’s pre-snap operation needs to be flawless before the 60-year-old head coach names a starter.

Neither quarterback has run away with this competition, which makes the preseason even more intriguing for the Browns. There’s no telling how much Monken will honestly factor in preseason performance during the evaluation of these quarterbacks, but it’s certainly the next step in the process.

After this preseason opener in Chicago, Cleveland’s joint practice with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday August 20 will be the next big check-in on this competition. After that practice, the Browns will host the Bills for a preseason game. From there, it’s anyone’s guess as to when Monken could name his Week 1 starting quarterback.