The Cleveland Browns lost a critical game on Sunday, falling to 5-4 and squandering a 5-2 start that had them on top of the AFC North. This second consecutive loss puts them that much further behind in the playoff race. That should be the primary storyline coming out of this game.
However, a different storyline is emerging in the wake of this game.
After throwing for 297 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions, some are beginning to question whether backup quarterback Shedeur Sanders should start again next week. Head coach Todd Monken was asked exactly this following the game.
#Browns HC Todd Monken was asked if Shedeur Sanders made a case for himself to start again: "I'm not even—I mean, we're, how long has it been? 30 minutes since the
game ended? I'm not getting into quarterback. If we want to talk about Shedeur, we can talk about Shedeur." pic.twitter.com/HAWV6EJTEQ
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) November 9, 2026
One has to understand Monken’s frustration. Sander’s play didn’t nearly match the numbers in the scoresheet. So asking whether he has earned the start over Deshaun Watson next week is certainly a trap question.
However, Monken should have just clearly answered the question with a clear no. It would have been easy enough to do this while still praising Sanders' performance. By not doing this, I would expect that it only opens the door for more questions.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns HC is not discussing the QB situation after Week 9 loss
