Browns' Shedeur Sanders reveals mindset during team's QB battle
· Yahoo Sports
The Cleveland Browns have once again found themselves in the middle of a quarterback battle during the 2026 NFL offseason.
After adding just one quarterback to the room this offseason in 2026 sixth-round pick Taylen Green, the competition for the starting job has come down to veteran Deshaun Watson and second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders leading up to Week One.
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When asked about the current climate of the Browns’ quarterback battle on Wednesday, Sanders told reporters that he is “focused on developing as a player” and becoming comfortable in head coach Todd Monken’s offensive scheme.
"We come to practice every day focused on being the best players we can be individually and the best teammates we can be,” Sanders claimed. “You all [the media] look at it as a competition. That's not what I'm focused on. I'm focused on developing as a player and getting as comfortable as I can in the offense and the scheme."
The Browns’ quarterback battle
Sanders, a former fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, will look to retain the starting quarterback role after earning the spot as a rookie. Despite being behind veteran Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, the former Colorado standout would eventually play in eight games for Cleveland in 2025, finishing with 1,400 passing yards, 10 interceptions, and seven touchdowns.
However, Sanders’ quest to once again be named the starting quarterback hit a bump in the road this offseason with Watson's return. The former three-time Pro Bowler has fully recovered from his brutal Achilles tear during the 2024 season, which sidelined him for the entire 2025 season. And while Watson ahs underperformed for a majority of his time with the Browns, there’s a chance the veteran could land one more shot as a starting quarterback for the struggling franchise in 2026.
Sanders’ mindset regarding the battle between him and Watson should not take away from the fact that there is genuine competition between the two quarterbacks this offseason. In addition to spliting up the first-team reps through minicamp, Monken told reporters earlier this week that he is not going to name the No. 1 quarterback anytime soon.
“I really don’t know,” Monken stated. “I’m not going to name a No. 1 ... chances are, I will not... Now, once we get to the fall, we’ll have to dissect the reps how we see fit. I just don’t see it after the way Shedeur’s played and Deshaun’s played, they’ve both played well enough to earn the right to compete to start.”
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns' Shedeur Sanders reveals mindset during team's QB battle