Dillon

Gabriel

It might not mean much for the forgotten man in the Browns quarterback room this offseason. Deshaun Watson continues to operate as the team’s starter in offseason practices. Shedeur Sanders is expected to compete for the starting gig, though he’s expected to be an underdog to begin the regular season under center for a revamped Cleveland offense. Head coach Todd Monken appears enamored with Watson, who has played in 19 regular season games since 2021. Gabriel had the NFL’s lowest EPA per drop back in 2025, just ahead of Sanders. The Browns have insisted they would not trade Gabriel this offseason.

Monken also says he’s “not there yet” when it comes to naming his QB, but it doesn’t sound like he’s against the idea of naming his preferred starter before camp. Recent reports have suggested that Deshaun Watson “looks healthy” and has the inside edge to win the QB battle over Shedeur Sanders, who struggled mightily his rookie season. The Browns have been on the field for three days during their first mini camp, with Watson leading the QB room thus far. The last time we saw Watson, he threw for 1,148-5-3 in seven games for the Browns, but missed all of last season due to a torn Achilles. He’s in the final year of his record-setting five-year, $230 million contract, and could earn the early nod if he impresses enough before camp.

The reports comes in the wake of the team drafting Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green at pick No. 182, bringing the total number of quarterbacks on the roster to four alongside Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Gabriel. Watson enters 2026 as the presumed starter considering the hefty financials invested in his services, but to say the situation isn’t fluid is a vast understatement, particularly after the team drafted three quarterbacks in the previous two drafts. Stay tuned, sports fans.

“You couldn’t ask for a better start for the quarterbacks,” Monken said in reference to the QBs’ performance during offseason workouts on Monday. “I was fired up.” For now the Cleveland quarterbacks room includes Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson, 30, who’s coming off two torn Achilles tendons and is slated to make $34.9 million in 2026. Monken said he was encouraged by the quarterbacks’ grasp of the team’s new offensive playbook. There’s a long way to go before Monken names a Week 1 starter, but The Athletic’s Zac Jackson said recently that he feels “stronger than ever” that Sanders, who threw seven touchdowns and ten picks over eight games in 2025, is the favorite to land the starting gig in Monken’s offense.

Monken is known for maximizing his quarterback’s potential in the passing game, but the trio of Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel may be a bridge too far for the 60-year-old, first-time head coach. That said, the Browns seem determined to find out, although we can’t rule out the team bringing in a rookie in next month’s draft. Watson’s time with the Browns has been forgettable to say the least. In four seasons with the team, the $230 million man who signed a five-year deal in 2022 has thrown for 3,365-19-12 in 19 games, and is working his way back from a torn Achilles he suffered in 2024. In fairness to Watson, things can’t get any worse, so maybe, should he win the QB1 job in camp, he will see better numbers with Monken calling the plays.

Wolfe is standing by his report from February, in which he told viewers that they should not be surprised if the Browns abstain from drafting a quarterback this year. He believes that the Browns are likely to “supplement the offense” by spending their two first-round picks on a wide receiver and a left tackle this season before “maybe” drafting a quarterback next year. Per Wolfe, the Browns’ quarterback competition is between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, seemingly rendering Dillon Gabriel a locked-in backup.

The Browns are still laboring through the repercussions of the Watson trade. He will remain on the roster this year and was nearly ready to return from his torn Achilles at the end of the 2025 season. He should be a full-go for the start of the offseason program, putting him in line to compete with Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders for the starting job. The Browns could make another addition via free agency or the draft, but our hopes are not high for this room in 2026.

Monken praised Sanders’ “elite play-making ability” and said he will have a shot at the starting job for Week 1. The Browns currently have Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson on the roster as potential Week 1 starters. Given how poorly all three of them played in 2025, or 2024 for Watson, Cleveland will almost certainly be in the market for a veteran passer in free agency. Barring a surprise in the draft, the Browns will have plenty of options at quarterback, none of which inspire much confidence.

“I wouldn’t put any restraints on that,” Berry said Tuesday at the NFL Combine when asked about taking another QB after the team drafted both Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel in 2025.

In an appearance for ESPN Cleveland radio, Fowler said he would “expect the Browns to add” to the quarterback room in the offseason. Fowler mentioned Alabama draft prospect Ty Simpson and impending free agent Malik Willis as options to “shake up” the quarterback situation under new head coach Todd Monken. Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel were underwhelming as rookies while Deshaun Watson is still in Cleveland coming off an Achilles injury and still holding a large cap hit. If Fowler’s words are any indication, we could see another name or two added to the mix this offseason.