The Cleveland Browns have a new head coach in former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken. One of Monken’s most important responsibilities in his first season at the helm of Lake Erie will be determining Cleveland’s starting quarterback for the 2025-26 season.

Monken got his first chance to see his three quarterbacks, Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel, in action during voluntary minicamp, and a frontrunner has reportedly emerged.

“With my breaking news here that Deshaun Watson has taken the lead over Shedeur Sanders in the #Browns QB competition and has the inside track to win it, I think they should declare him QB1 asap and let the 1st team offense start to cook,” posted Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot on X on Wednesday.

With my breaking news here that Deshaun Watson has taken the lead over Shedeur Sanders in the #Browns QB competition and has the inside track to win it, I think they should declare him QB1 asap and let the 1st team offense start to cook. There’s no time to waste: https://t.co/HDkyNnugo7

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) April 29, 2026

A fresh start

For Sanders’ part, he is clearly enjoying learning under Monken more than he did under Cleveland’s previous coach, Kevin Stefanski.

“You could say somebody don’t know how to learn but it’s like, how did the person get all the way to this level if he don’t know how to learn? … Does he not know how to learn or do I not know how to communicate … So I’m just thankful that my coaches now are extremely embracing me,” Sanders said during minicamp.

The Browns will open mandatory minicamp on June 9.