Why Sheduer Sanders vs. Deshaun Watson QB competition is taking so long for Browns

1 month ago 22

Multiple quarterback competitions are happening across the league, but for the Cleveland Browns and the battle between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, there has yet to be any clear separation in this battle.

While Kyler Murray looks likely to have won the starting job already for the Minnesota Vikings, the Browns' competition is going at a snail's pace. Why is this QB battle taking so long for the Browns?

As ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi noted in his latest report on the Browns' QB competition, Monken is slow-playing this battle and trying to get the best view possible of both QBs before making a decision on his starter for the upcoming 2026 season.

Why Browns' QB competition is taking so long

"Monken said he'll continue to alternate first-team reps between Watson and Sanders until a starter is named," Oyefusi reports. "For the time being, the expectation is that both passers will start one of the first two preseason games, with the Browns' preseason opener against the Chicago Bears looming on Aug. 15."

The Browns quarterback competition is lasting a while because Monken want's to get a look at both Sanders and Watson outside of a practice setting, and in an actual game against a different team.

It's one thing to see how they perform in 11-on-11's, it's another to see how they react to the challenges of facing a new defense with unfamiliar players in a live-game.

Even though it's the preseason, the Browns are sure to have the majority of their first-team offense on the field for each preseason game.

MORE: Deion Sanders has words with Browns' Todd Monken about Shedeur Sanders

Seeing how Watson and Sanders perform in a live-game setting is important. It's one of the main reasons why Monken is dragging this competition out so long.

"I don't think you're really going to know until you get through all the installs, because we're not game-planning against our own defense," Monken said. "Each day has been a different part of the pass game, so it's hard to really [tell]. And one day you go with the 1s, the other day you go with the 2s; certainly that matchup is going to be different depending on who you're going against."

Because Monken is splitting the first-team reps for Sanders and Watson, it's been difficult to get a good grasp on how good each quarterback actually is.

That's why Browns fans, barring an unexpected change, should prepare for this Sanders vs. Watson QB battle to last through at least the first two preseason games.

After the Browns vs. Buffalo Bills preseason game on August 22, there might finally be an answer for which QB is the starter for 2026. It's a wide-open competition, and it's a battle likely to last for at least another couple of weeks or so.