Todd Monken is getting the full Cleveland Browns experience in his first season as head coach.
We are entering the final week of the preseason and he has still not named a starting quarterback. Deshaun Watson seemed to be the favorite over Shedeur Sanders throughout the summer, only to basically say he doesn’t like Browns fans in Saturday’s postgame press conference.
The situation is a bit of a mess but Monken still has to come to a decision. He spoke to the media Sunday and revealed when he will name his starter.
Monken opened his remarks with a declaration that he will make his announcement on Monday.
Well, he said he “anticipates” naming his starter on Monday. Hopefully, that means he is in fact making Monday the deadline. That needs to happen so the starter, whether it’s Watson or Sanders, can begin getting the full first-team reps in practice. Week 1 is only three weeks away.
Monken also let it be known he won’t be playing Watson or Sanders in Thursday’s preseason finale against the New England Patriots. Instead, fans will be seeing Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green at quarterback.
Watson’s postgame comments following an ugly performance on Saturday added a whole new layer to Monken’s decision. The quarterback called out the fans for booing him and for cheering back in 2024 when he was carted off with a season-ending injury. That is a fair gripe, but does make it clear he is just not a good fit in 2026. It seems as if he hates the fans and the fans hate him. That is not a recipe for any type of success in the NFL.
Yet Monken’s top goal is to win football games and he will go with Watson if he feels that gives the team the best chance at winning. That may just not be the case anymore after Saturday’s performance both during and after the game.
The good news in all of this is that the debates can finally end and fans can start to focus on Week 1. Given recent history, it would not be surprising to see both quarterbacks make starts and do so early in the season. That is especially true if the team starts 0-2 before returning home in Week 1.
Fans may just mutiny if Watson starts the home opener in Week 3.
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