Monken sets pace for Browns QB battle, with Deshaun Watson to open first preseason start

The Browns are reshaping how their quarterback situation will be seen before the regular season, giving Deshaun Watson the first chance with the starters in the preseason opener, according to coach Todd Monken. The move places Watson back in the spotlight at the beginning of the exhibition slate rather than treating the early weeks as a free-for-all.

Pro Football Rumors reported that Monken announced Watson would start Cleveland’s first preseason game. Shedeur Sanders, the other quarterback in the group being evaluated this summer, is expected to take the first-team snap in the second preseason contest. The sequencing matters because preseason viewing often becomes the public tiebreaker for fan perception, even when coaches insist the work is still about building clarity and timing.

Cleveland’s approach, as described in the report, is aimed at running a more conventional quarterback competition. Instead of rotating starters in a way that can blur responsibilities and reads, the Browns will reportedly use each early game to establish a clear pecking order for first-team reps. That can be especially significant for quarterbacks because timing with the same core of linemen and playmakers can compress learning curves and reduce variables.

The Watson-to-start decision also reflects the kind of narrative arc the team has leaned into this offseason. The report frames Watson’s return to the starting competition as an improbable journey back to being an on-field focal point. Monken’s comments, as relayed by Pro Football Rumors, suggest the Browns want that return to be evaluated on the field in structured doses, starting with starters rather than only later-in-game scenarios.

For Sanders, the reported plan creates a defined follow-up opportunity. Starting the second preseason game puts him in a position to respond immediately, with coaching staff and organization decision-makers able to compare progress with a similar game plan and a more comparable first-team look. In a competition, continuity is valuable, and alternating who gets that continuity first can help the staff calibrate what each quarterback is delivering under baseline conditions.

What to watch next is not simply who looks sharper in a given exhibition, but how both quarterbacks handle the rhythm of the passing game once the formations settle and the first wave of adjustments arrives. A more traditional starter-based structure can make it easier to separate decision-making, timing, and execution from the noise that comes with constant line and personnel reshuffling. Still, preseason results do not translate cleanly to regular-season roles, particularly when the goal is evaluation and preparation rather than final depth-chart certainty.

Until the Browns confirm further details through official team communications and game-week information, the plan should be treated as a reported framework for early-season quarterback evaluation. The Browns’ preseason opener will be the first test of Monken’s sequence, and the second game will be the immediate follow-up that completes the competition’s first visible phase.