Monken holds off on Browns QB1 as healthy Watson and rising Shedeur Sanders turn heads
Monken holds off on Browns QB1 as healthy Watson and rising Shedeur Sanders turn heads originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Cleveland walked away from its offseason program without resolving the one issue that matters most: who will line up behind center when the season opens. Offensive coordinator Ken Monken handed first-team snaps to both Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders during OTAs and minicamp, came away encouraged by each, and still declined to anoint a winner.
His reasoning is rooted less in indecision than in evidence he simply doesn’t have yet. Padless practices, he believes, cannot replicate what a starting job demands.
Watson’s physical comeback stands out. He looks recovered not only from the Achilles tear but from the shoulder problem that ended his 2023 campaign and required surgery that November.
Notably, he appeared readier to attack downfield than during his last stretch of meaningful football. Sanders, meanwhile, grew steadier inside the scheme as the weeks passed, with the staff crediting sharper footwork and quicker reads.
Here lies the wrinkle most coverage glosses over: Monken’s patience is itself a verdict. By refusing to pick, he’s signaling that neither passer has disqualified himself, which is rarer than it sounds for a team this unsettled at the position. He’d prefer to crown a starter by training camp yet feels no urgency.
“It would feel different if I didn’t feel like their progression hadn’t gotten to this point where I think they both can start and play winning football,” Monken said. “I’m convinced of it. And I’d say it if I didn’t. I mean, I can’t decide now because I think both have earned the opportunity to continue to compete once we put the pads on.”
Why pads, pass rush, and preseason will decide the Browns’ quarterback
The next layer of evaluation will look nothing like spring drills. Monken wants to watch both quarterbacks operate against a genuine pass rush, in pads, and possibly across preseason games before committing. That preference reframes the whole competition: spring told him who could function, but only contact will tell him who can win.
An unexpected window into Sanders’ progress arrived off the field. On his Speakeasy podcast with Emmanuel Acho, former NFL running back LeSean “Shady” McCoy relayed intel from a teammate of the rookie.
“I had a chance to talk to Jerry Jeudy, and he was saying, ‘right now, Shedeur looks really, really good. You can tell he’s getting more comfortable in the offense, comfortable in the scheme, comfortable for not being in college and actually being a pro,'” McCoy said.
Strip away the obvious part of that scouting report, and one phrase carries real weight. Of course, a young passer grows easier with a new system by the day; that’s expected.
The meaningful piece is his adjustment to professional life, a transition that cuts deeper for Sanders than most. He spent his entire college run playing under his father, Deion Sanders, and his first season away from that orbit exposed how unprepared he was.
What he did about it matters. The tape from a year ago fell short, he knew it, and he spent the offseason grinding. If the reports about his growth hold true, he’s positioning himself for a real shot.
