Browns coach Todd Monken accuses reporter of trying to ‘trap him’ over QB controversy

Todd Monken isn’t budging from his quarterback stance.

During Monday’s press conference, a Browns reporter wanted to clarify what the head coach said in regards to his top two quarterbacks in Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.

The reporter asked: “Were you saying Deshaun has gotten better since camp or that he’s better than Shedeur?”

“Oh, I don’t think I threw in there that he’s better than Shedeur,” Monken said. “I’m not sure I went that far but I appreciate you trying to trap me in that s–t.”

“No, I’m not,” the reporter quickly responded.

Monken has not yet made a decision on who is QB1 in Cleveland among Sanders, Watson and backup Dillon Gabriel.

“I’m not there yet,” Monken told reporters. “I just don’t see it after the way Shedeur has played and the way Deshaun’s played. They’ve both played well enough to earn the right to compete to start.”

Monken, who is in his first season at the helm of the Browns, had previously indicated he would like to know his starter by the start of training camp.

Yet July has come and gone without one named.

Sanders was recently ranked 35th out of 35 quarterbacks in the The Athletic’s 2026 NFL quarterback tiers list, in which 50 executives and coaches rank the signal callers.

Some voters, who all spoke on the condition of anonymity, weren’t shy in expressing how they felt about the second-year QB.

“I’d sleep like a baby if I got to play him every week,” one defensive coordinator said.

Last season, Sanders threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions across eight games (seven starts). He had a completion rate of 56.6 percent.

Watson, who did not play in 2025 as he was recovering from an Achilles injury, has not pushed the Browns to contention status since arriving in 2022.

He was ranked 31st on the tier list.

The Browns open their season in Jacksonville on Sept. 13 and will look to improve upon their 5-12 record last year.