Browns being patient in naming a starting QB as Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders split reps
BEREA, Ohio — The first week of training camp for the Cleveland Browns ended with both players who are competing for the starting quarterback job, Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, throwing interceptions in a late-game situational drill.
And though there are multiple reasons that new coach Todd Monken isn’t ready to name a starter, a flurry of turnovers in the back half of a fast-paced Saturday practice reinforces the uncomfortable state of affairs.
No decision is coming anytime soon. The Browns need a lot of work — and Monken needs time to assess what he’s seen and what he hopes to see going forward. The Browns are still in the installation stage of camp, still working through expected offensive growing pains and focusing more on the basics than results.
Watson has thrown multiple interceptions on two of the four practice days, and though Sanders had the better overall week, Monken insists he’s fine with continuing to have them share reps with the No. 1 offense and continue to work on mastering the playbook.
“I think the most important thing is, from a process standpoint, how we (are) operating at the line of scrimmage,” Monken said. “Where are their eyes (on pass dropbacks)? Have they taken command of the huddle, and then cadence, and then understanding the concepts? I think they’re all doing good. They’re all fine. All of our players are working through mistakes and fighting like hell to get better.”
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Monken said multiple times in the winter and spring that he hoped to have a starter named by now. But there was no winner in the spring, and Monken said both deserved more chances. Sanders was clearly better in the last few practices of the spring than he was early on, and that’s carried over to the start of camp.
Saturday was Sanders’ most consistent throwing day despite the late-practice interception. On Thursday and Friday, Sanders finished with multiple downfield completions after getting off to erratic starts.
At least publicly, Monken has said he’s more focused on offensive growth than the results of individual plays. Saturday was the Browns’ fourth of eight installation days, and only once the full offense is installed will Monken start to think about changing the rep counts or tailoring the practice play calls toward one quarterback over the other.
“At this point when you’re installing, when I’m scripting, I really am not scripting on who is at quarterback,” Monken said. “They each have a different skill set, so as of right now, I’m not evaluating any of them. I’m not making a decision on any of them until we get through all the installs.
“Nothing’s going to be decided over these install practices. We’re just getting it in, letting the guys compete, see where we’re at — that’s at all positions. Once we get further along in pads, the full install in, we get to compete against other people in the preseason (and in a joint practice). That’s really when I’m going to be able to see it because I haven’t coached any of these four quarterbacks until now. I haven’t been around them. I don’t have any preconceived notions of who they’ve been or where they’re going. I just take it day to day.”
The Browns open the preseason Aug. 15 in Chicago, host the Buffalo Bills for a joint practice on Aug. 20, two days before the teams play the second of three preseason games. Unless something drastically changes in performance or availability for either Sanders or Watson over the next week, that second preseason game seems to be a fair target for Monken to have some sort of verdict. The Browns play their final preseason game in a short-week situation on Aug. 27 against the New England Patriots.
On three of the first four days of training camp, the Browns spent the first 20 minutes or so with full units on separate fields, what Monken calls “two-spotting.” Those jog-through periods allow the coaching staff to maximize both reps and participation, with the initial focus on alignment and assignments before competitive periods of practice begin. Watson worked with the starters on the first and third days of camp. Sanders got the other two.
“The biggest thing for me is just letting my instincts take over — not doing anything extra, not doing anything less, just staying balanced and letting it come,” said Watson. “Day to day it’s getting better, and honestly, I think the biggest thing is just playing football.
“I haven’t played football in a long time, so for me, it doesn’t matter how long I play or how many games I play. I just want to play football. A lot of people wrote me off and said I wouldn’t be playing football again after two Achilles injuries. I’m proving that wrong and proving myself right. It’s a great opportunity for me to get out there and showcase what I can do.”
The other two quarterbacks in camp are Dillon Gabriel, who made six starts last year before Sanders started the final seven, and sixth-round rookie Taylen Green. Gabriel got few competitive reps during the spring, and Green got none.
Gabriel has probably been the most consistently accurate thrower in camp, though he had hot streaks ended by interceptions Friday and Saturday. Sanders had his most accurate day Saturday before the late interception on a sideline route intended for Jerry Jeudy. The Browns didn’t score an offensive touchdown in any competitive period of practice until Sanders hit Isaiah Bond in a red zone 7-on-7 drill Saturday.
Sanders said he’s more comfortable with his routine and “process” in his second NFL season and has continually said he’s thinking more about personal improvement than where the competition might stand.
“We always strive to have our best days every day,” Sanders said. “But I play better and feel better whenever I have all the information, and I know exactly what’s going on at all times. So that’s why I just spend every minute, every hour of my time really focused on being the best quarterback I could be and being the best leader for this team I could be. That obviously translates because the more information I know, the more comfortable I am as a person.”
Watson threw interceptions on consecutive plays in the first practice, then was picked off again Friday by veteran linebacker Quincy Williams on a pass Watson forced into heavy traffic. Saturday, Watson was intercepted twice by safety Chris Edmonds, once on a deflected pass and once on a wobbler toward the back of the end zone after he and Tylan Wallace had an apparent miscommunication.
Watson hasn’t played since October 2024, when he suffered a torn right Achilles tendon that he later tore again during a rehab workout. Watson said he feels healthy now and is anxious to just play at full speed again, which will happen when the Browns are in full pads Monday.
“The (alternating) can be hard because it’s hard to build that rhythm,” Watson said. “But at the same time, as a quarterback you just try to lock in. You’ve got to be a leader out there, and you’ve got to bring everybody to that standard, and you all have to play that way.
“So regardless of what group you’re in or who you’re in there with, you’ve got to make sure you execute at a high level. It’s definitely challenging, but at the same time, you can’t make that an excuse.”
