Watson and Sanders Split Reps in Browns Quarterback Competition

Deshaun Watson enters camp with a 33.1 Total QBR since joining Cleveland, while Shedeur Sanders seeks to build on a 3-4 record as a starter.

The Cleveland Browns open training camp on Wednesday with a head-to-head battle for the starting quarterback position between nine-year veteran Deshaun Watson and second-year passer Shedeur Sanders. First-year head coach Todd Monken, the former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator, oversaw spring practices where both players split first-team repetitions. Watson, 30, returns from a 2025 season lost to a torn Achilles tendon that required two surgeries. Since his Cleveland debut, Watson has posted a 33.1 Total QBR, a figure that would rank last among qualifying NFL quarterbacks. Despite a $230 million fully guaranteed contract signed in March 2022, injuries and suspensions have limited him to 19 games and a 9-10 record, during which he threw 19 touchdowns.

Shedeur Sanders, the 24-year-old son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, enters camp after starting the final seven games of last season. During his 2025 rookie campaign, Sanders averaged 3.24 seconds to throw, the longest duration among 38 quarterbacks with at least six starts. After being inactive for the start of the year, he debuted in Week 11 against the Ravens, completing 4-of-16 passes for 47 yards and one interception. He secured his first victory the following week against the Las Vegas Raiders and finished the season with a 3-4 record. His tenure as a starter concluded with consecutive wins against division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.

Roster Depth and Rookie Contributions

The quarterback room includes four healthy passers, mirroring the situation Cleveland faced last year before trading Kenny Pickett prior to the roster deadline. Dillon Gabriel, a 25-year-old third-round pick in 2025, made six starts as a rookie. Gabriel recorded the lowest average air yards per attempt in the league last season at 5.7. General manager Andrew Berry noted in February that the former UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon standout remains a factor in the team's plans despite being positioned behind Watson and Sanders. Gabriel served as the primary backup to Joe Flacco during the 2025 regular season after taking first-team reps in previous camp sessions.

Taylen Green joins the group as the newest addition, selected with the final pick of the April 2026 draft. The 23-year-old prospect stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 227 pounds. At the NFL combine, Green recorded a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, the fastest time for a quarterback. During two seasons at Arkansas, he accounted for 7,247 total yards, the second-highest mark in the SEC since 2024, trailing only Diego Pavia. Monken has identified Green's elongated release as an area for improvement, suggesting the rookie may undergo a redshirt season to polish his mechanics while potentially appearing in specialized offensive packages.

Coaching Evaluations and Performance Metrics

Coach Monken praised Watson’s athleticism in May, calling it a "superpower" that has been hindered by recent setbacks. The Browns traded three first-round picks to acquire Watson, yet he has struggled to regain the Pro Bowl form he displayed earlier in his career. In contrast, Sanders has been lauded for his offseason growth and improved decision-making. Monken noted in June that Sanders is processing information faster and getting the ball out of his hands more quickly than during his rookie year, where he was criticized for holding the ball too long and committing turnovers.

Training camp will serve as the final proving ground before Monken names a Week 1 starter. While the spring sessions were noncontact, the upcoming padded practices and preseason games will determine if Sanders can balance his playmaking instincts with the structure of the new offense. For Green, the preseason represents the primary opportunity to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, as practice repetitions will be concentrated on the primary competitors, Watson and Sanders. The franchise continues to search for stability at the position after holding open competitions for two consecutive summers.