Where the Browns’ QB competition stands, and other takeaways from the preseason opener

The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback battle transitioned from the practice fields to the game field in Saturday’s preseason opener.

Based on everything new coach Todd Monken has said for weeks, not just in the aftermath of the game, the most important part of the ongoing battle was probably a more thorough evaluation of the offensive operation — the huddle, the ongoing communication and how the quarterbacks diagnosed what the defense showed them ahead of the snap.

For Deshaun Watson, just getting on the field for his first live action in 22 months was pretty important, too. In that regard, it’s not surprising Monken was mostly upbeat in his postgame comments about how Watson and Shedeur Sanders played. Monken also went out of his way to call it “awesome” to see Watson on the field, saying he was “having fun again” after spending basically an entire year rehabbing from a twice-torn Achilles tendon.

To me, it was most notable that Monken said he “gets all the frustration from fans and from (Watson) himself” about how things have gone for Watson over the past four years.

Given how miserably the Browns’ Watson experiment has failed, nobody on the outside expected Watson to still be with the Browns for the final year of his contract. And though nobody from the organization has wanted to discuss it publicly, the Browns know the fanbase feels let down by Watson’s limited availability and even more limited success. If Watson plays this year and doesn’t succeed, he’ll get booed. And, frankly, there’s still not a lot of visual evidence that he has a chance to succeed.

Monken’s quarterback competition between Watson and Sanders rolls on for another week, but I think the way Monken handled the Saturday postgame was a little bit of a tell. Maybe a “soft launch,” as the kids might say. It’s close, and Monken said it’s important to follow the timeline and rotation and let it continue. Though Watson has been better over the last week-plus of practices than he was early in camp, in no way has he played consistently well enough (nor has Sanders played poorly enough) to end the competition.

But Watson has been first in every practice line since the spring, got the first preseason start and was the beneficiary on the only open day of practice in which the rotation was altered. He started the first preseason game — whether the Browns intentionally wanted to start Sanders in the second one or not — and guided the team’s only two scoring drives of the day. Watson didn’t throw any long passes or show improved pocket presence, but Monken has long said he’ll start the player who gives the team the best chance to score points and move the ball, and Watson did that with at least some level of success over six rust-shaking, first-half possessions in Chicago.

From sideline practice observation, there’s no clear winner. There’s no stated winner from Monken, who’s continued to insist he’s fine following the extended timeline and repeated Sunday that practice reps will be shared through Thursday’s important joint practice with the Buffalo Bills.

But if Monken always envisioned choosing Watson first — based on Watson’s experience and Monken being unburdened by what happened when Monken was working elsewhere — then I think he’s sort of hinting Watson has been the slight leader all along.

The itinerary

Though Monken was still due to speak with Bills coach Joe Brady about an exact itinerary for Thursday’s practice, Monken said he plans to stick with the same rotation this week: Sanders with the No. 1 offense in shorter practices Monday and Wednesday, and Watson in a longer, full-pads practice Tuesday. Both will play with the No. 1 offense Thursday, then Sanders will start next Saturday’s preseason game against the Bills and play the first half.

Monken has said he won’t commit to playing all starters in Saturday’s game but will make that decision based on the starters’ reps in practice Thursday. In the preseason opener, Watson played two series with the starting offensive line, running back Quinshon Judkins and tight end Harold Fannin Jr. before Monken put in several younger players and backups.

The quarterback competition would ideally conclude with Saturday’s preseason game, ahead of the pending shift into more of a regular-season mode, but Monken has said he won’t decide until he’s fully comfortable.

“I did feel going into last week’s game it was relatively close in terms of both having an opportunity,” Monken said. “It would be unfair to not go in the next game and allow Shedeur that opportunity (to play with most of the starters).”

Monken again noted he’s judging both quarterbacks on their ability to operate the offense before and after the snap, but he commended both for overcoming penalties in different situations in Chicago. Watson had three consecutive completions after the Browns faced first-and-25, while Sanders had a 35-yard completion on third-and-13 to Luke Floriea.

I don’t feel the competition is over or that Watson’s lead is insurmountable. If anything, I think the preseason opener showed Watson still has obvious limitations that should lead the rebuilding Browns to play the younger player. But in either case, a competition that’s clearly dragging still isn’t done — and there is some intrigue in how both QBs handle the week ahead.

All set elsewhere on offense?

Outside of quarterback, Monken acknowledged that the top of the offensive depth chart is pretty much set. The Browns are trending towards starting Elgton Jenkins at center and Teven Jenkins at right guard.

KT Leveston, who got No. 1 reps at right guard for more than a week when Teven Jenkins was injured early in camp, led all offensive players with 45 snaps in Chicago. The Browns want to see Leveston continue to develop as he’s moving inside after making seven emergency starts at tackle last season. He will probably make the team because of his position versatility and because he’s on a rookie contract through 2027.

Guard Zak Zinter should be back at practice soon, Monken said. Though the Browns have been hit hard by injuries at cornerback and defensive tackle, Monken repeated Sunday that most are short-term and that the team expects several players back around the Aug. 27 preseason finale against New England.

As Saturday’s preseason opener again reinforced, the wide receiver position has been upgraded. Rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston will be involved. They’re going to be busy. That’s been obvious since early in camp — and Concepcion has made obvious strides over the past several weeks. His 31-yard punt return and 14-yard touchdown run in the preseason opener followed the track he’s been on for most of training camp.

On the run

Judkins didn’t play much in Chicago, and Dylan Sampson was the second running back in. Sampson’s 43-yard gain on a screen pass from Watson was the biggest play of the game for the Browns and followed a week of camp in which Sampson was busy in the pass game. The plan has long been for Judkins to be the lead runner and Sampson to have a pass-game role.

Marshall, who spent part of 2025 on the practice squad, played ahead of Rocket Sanders, who’d been third in line for most of the spring and summer and was the No. 3 for much of last season after arriving via waivers. Marshall and Sanders are both second-year players, and the team doesn’t have a strong commitment to either. The switch in order was notable, and we’ll see how things proceed from here. Monken said both are competing and that Sanders will likely play as the No. 3 running back this week.

The tight end situation remains complicated. Blake Whiteheart was the clear No. 2 in Chicago, but Jack Stoll didn’t play, and Brenden Bates was injured in the game. Fifth-round rookie Joe Royer remains away from the team for undisclosed personal reasons, and seventh-round rookie Carsen Ryan is trying to make the team as a combination fullback and tight end. If the Browns played a real game this week, they’d effectively be forced to use mostly three-wide-receiver sets because of their shortage at tight end.