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BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns enter training camp with an all-too-familiar question hovering over the franchise.
What is Cleveland doing at the quarterback position?
For the second straight year, the Browns will hold an open competition for QB1 during their camp. This season, first-year head coach Todd Monken will oversee the battle, which has centered around nine-year veteran Deshaun Watson and second-year player Shedeur Sanders. The two passers split first-team reps throughout the spring practices. They impressed Monken to the point he declared he had two starting-caliber quarterbacks, but the ex-Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator held off on naming his QB1 before seeing both players in padded practices and possibly even preseason games this summer.
Cleveland’s quarterback questions don’t end at who will start, though. The crowded room also includes Dillon Gabriel, a 2025 third-round pick who made six starts as a rookie, and Taylen Green, a sixth-round pick in April’s draft. Cleveland faced a similar conundrum last year, entering training camp with four healthy passers until Kenny Pickett was traded ahead of the roster cutdown deadline.
Here is where each quarterback stands as training camp opens Wednesday:
Stat to know: Watson’s 33.1 Total QBR since he made his Cleveland debut would rank last among qualifying quarterbacks if he had enough starts to qualify.
Once one of the brightest stars in the league, Watson’s career is now at a sort of crossroads. Beset by suspension and injuries, he has played in only 19 games since the Browns acquired him for three first-round picks and gave him a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract in March 2022. His newest ailment — a torn Achilles tendon that required a pair of surgeries — sidelined him for the 2025 season. When he has been on the field in a Browns uniform, Watson hasn’t been able to recapture his former Pro Bowl form; in those 19 games played (9-10 record), Watson threw just 19 touchdowns.
Watson is now healthy and has expressed excitement to be paired with an offensive-minded head coach who has had success with mobile quarterbacks. Browns coaches praised Watson’s form and physical abilities during the spring, but the next test will be carrying it over into games, where he has failed to perform with consistency in recent years.
“Deshaun’s athleticism shows up,” Monken reported in May. “Obviously he’s had that, but he’s had injuries that have set him back. I wouldn’t say it’s a surprise, but it’s exciting to see — it’s a weapon for him. It’s one of his superpowers, his athleticism.”
Stat to know: Sanders had an average time to throw of 3.24 seconds, the longest of 38 quarterbacks who made at least six starts in 2025.
Sanders joined Cleveland last season under a microscope that belied his fifth-round draft status. His fall from a projected first-round pick to a Day 3 selection only added to the outsized attention and scrutiny. And it heightened even further as Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, took zero first-team reps in camp and opened the 2025 regular season as the inactive, emergency quarterback on game days.
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Sanders, though, worked his way up the depth chart and made his debut in Week 11, when he was thrust into action in the second half against the Ravens. Though his first taste of NFL action was a struggle — 4-of-16 for 47 yards and one interception — Sanders bounced back the following week and got a win in his first start against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Sanders remained QB1 for the final seven games of the season, and his two-month run as the Browns’ starter was an up-and-down affair; he made big plays with his arm and legs but also committed rookie mistakes, namely holding on to the ball too long and turning it over. He finished with a 3-4 record, including wins against the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals in the final two games.
Coaches lauded Sanders’ growth during the offseason workout program, particularly his grasp of Monken’s offense and ability to get through his progressions more quickly. However, noncontact practices don’t compare to live pass rushes that require snap decisions. Sanders will have to find a balance between playing in structure and unlocking his playmaking skills.
“I think he’s being more decisive,” Monken reported in June. “Now, it’s easy to say we’re not in pads. It just feels like he’s making quicker decisions. The ball’s coming out of his hands, which he’s going to have to do. Not that he doesn’t have playmaking ability, because he does, but his ability to process quicker and get the ball out of his hands and eliminate lost yardage plays is going to be huge for us to be able to stack plays and score, which is ultimately the No. 1 thing here.”
Stat to know: Gabriel averaged 5.7 air yards per attempt last season, lowest among 38 quarterbacks who made at least six starts.
The Browns selected Gabriel on Day 2 of last year’s draft, and the previous coaching regime quickly prepared him for a starting opportunity, giving him first-team reps in training camp and making him the backup to then-Browns QB Joe Flacco during the regular season.
Gabriel entered training camp last year as a roster lock based on his draft standing and the QB pecking order through the spring and summer. The same can’t be reported this year based on his positioning behind Sanders and Watson as well as the presence of Green. As a standout at UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon, Gabriel was a pinpoint passer but played a risk-averse brand of football during his six starts as a rookie. His accuracy and decision-making will have to be his calling card as a limited athlete.
“He may be forgotten externally, but he’s not forgotten to us,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry reported in February. “[He’s] going to handle everything within his control … Dillon’s a guy that has a bright future in this league.”
Quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson will each get reps during the Browns’ upcoming training camp that begins Tuesday. Sue Ogrocki/AP PhotoTaylen Green | Age: 23Stat to know: Green accounted for 7,247 total yards in two seasons at Arkansas, the second most in the SEC since 2024 and trailing only former Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia.
The Browns made one quarterback addition this offseason when they selected Green with their final pick of the 2026 draft. Berry reported the 6-foot-5, 227-pound Green, who ran the fastest 40-yard dash time for a quarterback at the NFL combine (4.36 seconds), has “rare physical gifts” but also acknowledged “he’s going to need some polish with his game.”
Those comments set Green up for what will likely amount to a redshirt season as a rookie, developing behind the scenes if he makes the 53-man roster. Monken has already spoken of wanting to shorten Green’s elongated release.
Monken and Berry are open to using Green’s physical attributes in specialized packages, but he’ll have to show enough progress as a passer this summer to not only make the roster but also be active on game days. With limited practice reps available as Sanders and Watson compete to start, the preseason games will mark huge opportunities for Green.
“I’ve been super impressed with his ability to really learn, process and take it to the field and then getting through his progressions, really impressive,” Monken reported in May.
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