Browns starting QB 2026 race pits Deshaun Watson against Shedeur Sanders
Cleveland opens camp with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders still battling for QB1, according to ESPN.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
The Browns starting QB 2026 question is back on the front burner, with ESPN reporting that Cleveland is opening training camp with another full-on quarterback competition.
According to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, first-year head coach Todd Monken has not named a QB1 as camp begins in Berea, Ohio. The main fight is between Deshaun Watson, the nine-year veteran trying to reboot his Browns run, and Shedeur Sanders, the second-year quarterback pushing for the job.
ESPN reported that Watson and Sanders shared first-team snaps during spring practices. Monken was encouraged enough by both passers to say Cleveland has two quarterbacks capable of starting, but he wanted to see padded work, and possibly preseason games, before making the call.
Who will be the Browns starting QB in 2026?
The Browns have not picked a 2026 Week 1 starting quarterback, according to ESPN. Watson and Sanders are the top names in the competition, while Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green are also in a packed quarterback room.
Gabriel, ESPN reported, was a 2025 third-round pick who started six games as a rookie. Green joined Cleveland as a sixth-round selection in April's draft.
Oyefusi noted that Cleveland had a similar camp puzzle last year, when the team carried four healthy quarterbacks before trading Kenny Pickett ahead of the roster cutdown deadline.
Where Deshaun Watson stands
Watson enters camp healthy after missing the 2025 season with a torn Achilles tendon that required two surgeries, according to ESPN. The report said his time in Cleveland has been slowed by suspension and injuries since the Browns acquired him in March 2022.
Cleveland gave up three first-round picks to get Watson and signed him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, ESPN reported. Since then, he has played 19 games for the Browns, gone 9-10 and thrown 19 touchdown passes.
ESPN also reported that Watson's 33.1 Total QBR since his Cleveland debut would rank last among qualifying quarterbacks if he had enough starts to qualify.
Monken praised Watson's athletic traits during the spring. “Deshaun's athleticism shows up,” Monken said in May, according to ESPN. “Obviously he's had that, but he's had injuries that have set him back. I wouldn't say it's a surprise, but it's exciting to see, it's a weapon for him. It's one of his superpowers, his athleticism.”
Why Shedeur Sanders is still in the mix
Sanders remains central to the competition because, according to ESPN, he split first-team reps with Watson throughout spring practices. Monken did not end the contest before camp, leaving the second-year quarterback with a live shot to win the job.
The Browns' decision now moves into the part of the summer Monken said he wanted to see: padded practices and possibly preseason action. Until then, Cleveland's most familiar question stays right where it has been, at quarterback.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.