There’s a new leader in Cleveland, and he’s seemingly welcoming a quarterback position battle.
Newly hired Browns coach Todd Monken didn’t jump to a verdict when asked during Tuesday’s introductory press conference whether Shedeur Sanders would be the team’s starting quarterback in 2026.
“Like any position on the team, that’s still to be determined,” Monken said.
“Am I excited about Shedeur? Am I excited about all the quarterbacks in the room? Am I excited to coach this football team? Absolutely. I can’t wait for them to get back and for us to get started.”
Monken, who announced he’ll call plays for the Browns, will seemingly invite a competition for the starting job — a battle that would also likely include Dillon Gabriel and a returning Deshaun Watson.
The Browns posted a video on social media earlier this week capturing a moment between Sanders and his new coach, who replaced Kevin Stefanski after three seasons as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator.
In the video, Monken said Baltimore wanted to draft Sanders out of Colorado, telling the young signal-caller that he’s “glad it all worked out” and “someday, we’ll get a chance to talk about that.”
“Obviously, we had an affection — like a lot of teams — of Shedeur’s skillset and what we thought he could become,” Monken explained at the presser. “But I really wouldn’t want to go in depth of another team’s process.”
The 23-year-old Sanders emerged as Cleveland’s QB1 in Week 12, after Joe Flacco got shipped to Cincinnati and Gabriel, a fellow rookie, suffered a concussion.
Across seven starts (eight appearances), the former Buffaloes standout threw for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns with 10 interceptions.
While Sanders earned a Pro Bowl nod — replacing Patriots quarterback Drake Maye — after Cleveland’s 5-12 season, he failed to stake his claim to the top spot in the depth chart.
Gabriel also struggled in his first campaign, while the embattled Watson hasn’t played an NFL game since rupturing his Achilles in Oct. 2024.
Still, there’s a long offseason ahead, one that could see even more names enter the fold.
Monken will focus on developing Cleveland’s young core while attempting to establish the franchise quarterback that the team has been desperately waiting for — whoever it may be.
Meanwhile, Stefanski will helm the Falcons after signing a five-year contract.
