The Cleveland Browns have a new regime, with Todd Monken entering his first season as the franchise’s head coach following a stint as the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator under John Harbaugh. For better or worse, the quarterback situation in Cleveland is still familiar.
The Browns’ offseason will feature a battle for the starting job, with fans, analysts, and pundits widely viewing the competition as a two-horse race between second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders and veteran Deshaun Watson, despite the presence of Dillon Gabriel on the roster. It’s a view that is apparently shared by Monken.
“Every day I kind of lean one way or the other with quarterbacks,” he told reporters. “But we still got to get to that point…and then quarterback, who’s going to start for us. But I’m fired up by the quarterbacks. I just tell you, we got two starting-level quarterbacks. We really do.”
For the quarterbacks’ part, Sanders has always been very accessible, even urging local media members earlier this offseason to improve their energy this season. Watson, on the other hand, has not been made available to local media since the aftermath of the October 2024 Achilles tear that ended his campaign prematurely and cost him all of the 2025 season.
ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi reported that Watson would finally speak to local media again after the second day of Cleveland’s mandatory minicamp. After the day’s practice concluded, Oyefusi’s reporting held true.
“I’m great mentally. I’m in a great space,” Watson said, according to reporter Andrew Sicilliano. “I appreciate [my wife] and the organization for always having my back.”
Deshaun Watson: “I’m great mentally. I’m in a great space.”
“I appreciate [my wife] and the organization for always having my back.”
First time Watson has addressed the media since his 2024 injury. pic.twitter.com/xIUuaobVqo
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) June 10, 2026
Watson also indicated that for the first time since the Browns’ Week 3 win over the Titans in 2023, he’s “fully healthy.” It remains to be seen whether a refreshed Watson has enough to fend off Sanders for the starting job.