It’s clear that the Cleveland Browns have a plan at the quarterback position this year, and Todd Monken is seemingly willing to go into it with a completely open mind when it comes to the Deshaun Watson situation. From a fan standpoint, it’s easy to see why this is annoying, but from a football standpoint, it’s probably the correct way to handle the quarterback room right now with the options that the team currently has.
If this team is going to win football games in 2026, every player in the quarterback
room has to correct some things in the way they play, whether that’s a mental or physical part of playing the position.
Deshaun Watson
Watson absolutely has to stop playing so recklessly on the field. If he continues to impress this offseason and ends up being the starter for 2026, he must understand that his days of scrambling around and running the ball are behind him.
He has to be able to stay healthy for more than 6-7 games, which is something that he hasn’t done since arriving in Cleveland.
Shedeur Sanders
Sanders showed a lot of promise in 2025, but one of his biggest problems was the simple fact that he held onto the ball for too long. There were countless times when he had a player open underneath fairly early in the play, but he decided to hold onto the ball so he could find a better option downfield.
He needs to stop being a “big game hunter” and learn to take what the defenses give him each play. Consistently delivering balls quickly at the intermediate level of the field is what this coaching staff needs him to do in the new offense.
Dillon Gabriel
Gabriel has to work on his performance under pressure. He already has obvious size limitations, and when defenders closed in on him, his fundamentals broke down.
His footwork gets really sketchy, forcing him to make some off-platform throws, which naturally reduces accuracy. It’s going to be hard for him to stand tall in the pocket (pun intended) and deliver throws in the face of pressure, so he needs to find ways to adapt in 2026.
Taylen Green
Green is viewed as a developmental project at quarterback, so in terms of what he has to do before the season begins is pretty inconsequential this year.
He just has to continue improving as a passer and prove that he could be effective as a wildcat option if Todd Monken wants to use him in that way as a rookie.
