By the start of the Cleveland Browns 2025 training camp, QB Kenny Pickett was injured, which led to the first time “QB1” was identified in last year’s quarterback competition. QB Joe Flacco held that spot for the rest of camp and was the team’s starter until QB Dillon Gabriel took over in Week 5 for the Browns game in London.
At least to start the 2026 offseason on-field process, things have started similarly with QBs Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, along with Gabriel, splitting snaps. A legitimate
QB competition could be good in Cleveland, but new HC Todd Monken noted at the NFL combine that he wanted a starter identified as quickly as possible.
In the first on-field work of the year, Watson took all of the quarterback drill snaps first:
Then, when team drills started, Sanders led the way:
Like last year under HC Kevin Stefanski, Monken noted that the reps were split to favor Sanders on purpose, but that it will likely change day-to-day:
Monken praised the quarterbacks after practice:
To the chagrin of some, 2026 is so similar to 2025 that the ESPN Cleveland “QB Tracker” has already made a return:
There are some differences. There are only three quarterbacks practicing right now, compared to last year when, at times, there were up to five. Flacco, Pickett, Tyler Huntley, and Bailey Zappe are all on different teams. The other big difference is the use of cameras on the quarterbacks’ helmets. Monken shared what the benefits of those are:
It will be interesting to see how the ‘26 competition looks different than the one in ‘25. The similarities do not mean this year will end up as poorly as last year, nor does anything different (like the cameras) ensure a more positive outcome.
Do you prefer that Monken identify his starter soon or think he should take as much time as possible to make the decision?
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