Todd Monken maps out Browns QB reps for camp, keeping starting job open between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken said the quarterback battle is not being handled as a simple one-man audition. Instead, Monken outlined a reps plan meant to keep both quarterbacks moving through training camp, with Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson getting work in a way that does not lock in a single starter early.

The Browns’ approach is notable because the timeline is tight. Less than eight weeks remain before the regular season begins, and the team’s quarterback depth chart still lists the QB1 role as “TBD,” according to Monken’s latest remarks reported by Yahoo Sports on July 29. The message is clear: competition remains central, and the coaching staff is trying to maintain both players’ rhythm rather than isolating one player as the early focal point.

Monken’s comments suggest the Browns want to balance two priorities at the same time. One is competitive readiness, meaning each quarterback should stay sharp in practice settings with live reps, not just scout-team work. The other is evaluation in context. By dividing reps during camp, Cleveland can observe how each quarterback performs within the same framework of play-calling, protections, and timing with the offense.

Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson enter this phase as the two leading names attached to the starting job. Sanders, in this telling, is being treated as part of the Browns’ camp rotation rather than a player who has to wait on the sidelines for a long stretch before meaningful opportunities. Watson, meanwhile, is not being positioned as an automatic answer under center either, with Monken indicating the QB workload is shared during camp.

For a team, a split-reps plan can reduce the risk of having a late decision arrive when one quarterback’s practice reps have been significantly limited. It also changes how the rest of the offense prepares. Receivers and offensive linemen get a steadier flow of different quarterback cues, which can help the team avoid a “starter-only” practice environment where preparation for the second quarterback is less complete.

At the same time, the Browns’ stance means the competitive picture is still fluid. With the QB1 label still unsettled this late in the offseason ramp, camp is functioning as the clearest forum for separation. The Browns will ultimately need a decision that carries through to the regular season, but Monken’s latest plan indicates that the coaching staff intends to keep information gathering open as long as possible.

What to watch next is how the reps split evolves as camp progresses, and whether the team starts to narrow the number of meaningful differences between the quarterbacks in practice. Even if the starting job remains officially “TBD” for now, the way Cleveland handles game-week readiness will be the real test of whether this competition becomes a clear pecking order by the time the season begins.