Deshaun Watson has taken the early lead in the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition and currently has the best chance to open 2026 as the team’s starting QB. Reports out of last week’s voluntary minicamp framed the QB1 race as a two-man battle, with Watson emerging ahead of Shedeur Sanders after the first on-field work of the offseason.
The Browns’ quarterback room looks different under new head coach Todd Monken. He replaces Kevin Stefanski, who has since taken over as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Monken is installing his own offensive system and has stressed that the QB1 decision will come down to performance rather than developmental priorities or future draft positioning.
Watson and Sanders headline the room, with Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green further down the depth chart. Reporting consistently frames the primary competition as Watson versus Sanders, while Gabriel and Green compete for backup roles.
Watson’s edge stems from his showing during the three-day voluntary minicamp. On the one publicly observed day, he displayed quicker decision-making, sharper pre-snap command, and more efficient execution in the passing game. The initial plan called for Sanders to take the first-team reps and log more snaps. Watson still received the first 11-on-11 reps as scheduled, but Watson ultimately worked more in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods based on performance.
That shift has reinforced the notion that Watson moved ahead early in the process. Sanders now faces meaningful ground to make up if he wants to reclaim the job he held to close last season.
Monken and the Browns hope to identify their starter, or at least set a clear hierarchy, by the end of mandatory minicamp on June 9-11. That timeline gives Sanders roughly six weeks from the close of voluntary minicamp to tighten the gap. Team messaging continues to emphasize that the call will be performance-based.
Ownership has also weighed in on the trajectory. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam previously called the Watson trade a “big swing and miss” but has more recently described Watson as getting a fresh start under an offensive-minded head coach. JW Johnson has reportedly remarked unprompted that Watson has looked sharp through the early stages of the offseason program.
Watson’s early lead arrives after a long stretch of missed time since his 2022 arrival in Cleveland. He has appeared in 19 games for the Browns, completing roughly 61% of his passes with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Major injuries and an 11-game suspension have limited his availability. He missed the 2025 season while recovering from Achilles injuries suffered in late 2024 and early 2025. He is now back working inside Monken’s offense.
Sanders enters this stretch with momentum from the back half of last season. He finished 2025 as the starter after Gabriel suffered a concussion six games into his own run as starter. Sanders went 3-4 across seven starts, throwing for roughly 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions while showing flashes of the skill set that made him a notable rookie.
The Browns quarterback battle for 2026 now turns to the next phase of the offseason program. Sanders will look to use the coming weeks to push the competition into training camp. For now, Watson holds the early advantage as Cleveland sorts its QB1 picture under Monken.
