Browns Coach Monken Eyes Sanders as QB Frontrunner

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken offered a measured assessment of quarterback Shedeur Sanders this week, positioning the young player as a key figure in the team's ongoing search for stability at the position ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

Sanders, a fifth-round pick from Colorado selected 144th overall in 2025, enters the offseason with growing momentum as the frontrunner to claim the starting role. After a season marked by opportunity and inconsistency, the 24-year-old is set to compete primarily with Deshaun Watson during training camp. Reports indicate that even league-average performance from Sanders could prompt the Browns to shift away from Watson, who has struggled since joining the team in 2022.

The 2025 campaign thrust Sanders into the spotlight after veteran Joe Flacco opened the year as starter and was later traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, while fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel suffered an injury. Sanders appeared in eight games, starting seven, and completed 120 of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He added one rushing touchdown, highlighted by a standout Week 14 performance against the Tennessee Titans, where he threw for 364...