Monken Keeps Quiet on Browns QB1, Says QB Brendan Sorsby Move Would Be a “Slippery Slope”

The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition is staying deliberately unsettled, at least in Todd Monken’s public messaging. After the team’s eighth OTA session on Wednesday, Monken said he was still “lean[ing] one way or the other” day to day, but he emphasized he has at least two quarterbacks he views as capable of starting. The coach also addressed an offseason storyline outside the current roster: whether Cleveland would consider QB Brendan Sorsby, whose college eligibility situation has created a potential supplemental-draft route this summer.

Monken is taking a similar approach to the quarterback race itself. In previous remarks across the spring, he has stressed competition without promising equal reps. He previously told reporters that reps would not be divided evenly among the quarterbacks in the room, even as the staff evaluates who earns the first crack at QB1.

That method is visible in Cleveland’s own OTA practice reporting. On Day 2 of OTAs, the Browns described a rotation system that included “two-spot” and full-team periods, with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders splitting reps in one setup and other pairings appearing in separate segments. Monken also said there is “not one quarterback who is ahead in the competition at this point in the offseason program,” while adding that he has been encouraged by both Watson’s athleticism and Sanders’ progress, particularly in understanding concepts and improving his ball handling and release.

Still, the broader football media landscape continues to look for an early favorite, and Monken has not tried to stop that narrative. A recent Browns-focused report on the QB1 picture suggested Watson has the inside track in the public conversation, though it also noted Sanders has flashed this spring and that the job is not decided. Separately, the NFL’s own coverage has framed the competition as “wide open,” with Monken indicating the rotation and “play the best player” approach will continue as the Browns evaluate through the summer.

Where Monken did offer clarity was in shutting down any idea of him pushing for Sorsby. In comments reported by Pro Football Rumors, Monken said Sorsby “hasn’t even come across [his] desk,” and he called the concept a “slippery slope,” arguing that the circumstances of Sorsby’s situation would make it difficult to view him as a franchise quarterback “if he’s ever eligible to even play” in the NFL. The same reporting noted that Monken framed the decision as one for management and that general manager Andrew Berry has remained non-committal on personnel matters.

Sorsby’s availability is part of the reason the topic is even on the table. NBC Sports reported that the NCAA denied Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s request for reinstatement for the 2026 season, and that he completed a 35-day inpatient rehab program for a gambling addiction. CBS Sports reported the league has informed Texas Tech that Sorsby would need to file for the NFL supplemental draft by June 22, a deadline that could determine whether his next step is even possible this year.

Cleveland’s immediate priority, though, is simpler than the supplemental-draft question. With the Browns rotating multiple quarterbacks in OTAs and Monken reiterating that he is not ready to declare a leader, the real separation will likely come from training-camp reps and how the staff manages urgency and workload as the season approaches. The team opens the 2026 regular season on Sept. 13 in Jacksonville, and Monken’s earlier timeline language has suggested the QB picture could tighten after the later spring and early summer checkpoints.