When the Cleveland Browns hired Todd Monken as the head coach, he mentioned that there would be an open competition between the quarterbacks to determine the starter. However, as the regular season gets nearer, there seems to be a certain veteran who is clearing the others in the quarterback battle. While multiple reports have already claimed Deshaun Watson to be the starting QB, Monken has also spoken highly of him.

“He’s made plenty of money,” said Todd Monken on Wednesday, via Mary Kay Cabot on X. “I think we all know that. He’s had plenty of success and has had disappointments in his career. A number of things he couldn’t control from an injury standpoint. But to come back and want to battle, want to further his career, and change the narrative, I think that’s really cool.”

Watson’s Achilles injury has kept him out of action for nearly 19 months. But he was the first quarterback to take individual drills during the Browns’ three-day voluntary camp before the draft. He looked sharp as he faked a toss to his right and threw a pass to a staffer about 20 yards downfield.

Initially, it was veteran Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot who mentioned Deshaun Watson should be the starter. Reportedly, the quarterback emerged as the favorite from the minicamp.

“I think they should declare [Watson] QB1 asap and let the 1st team offense start to cook,” said Mary Kay Cabot. “There’s no time to waste.”

While Monken did not share his thoughts earlier, his latest praise seems to paint a picture of who is likely to start at the QB position. Because of injuries, Watson has not had the chance to showcase his ability in Cleveland. The 30-year-old has only one year left on his contract, so this could be the perfect chance to prove himself.

Last season, the fans saw three quarterbacks taking up the QB1 role. First it was Joe Flacco, then Dillon Gabriel, and then rookie Shedeur Sanders. The latter started the last seven games, recording 1,400 passing yards and 7 touchdowns. It earned him a Pro Bowl selection. Despite the Pro Bowl, his performance did not establish him as the starter.

Sanders threw 10 interceptions and had many turnovers. It prompted Monken to make the decision of a quarterback competition. That way, no one would be favored, and all the quarterbacks would give their best to earn a spot on the team. Despite Monken and Watson being believed to have “hit it off,” the former says that nothing has changed in the QB battle.

Browns’ QB battle involves a lot of outside news

Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are in a fierce competition to determine who will become the signal caller for the franchise. While multiple reports suggest that Watson is leading the race, Shedeur is the close second, and Dillon Gabriel is at the depth chart; there is still a lot of training left before the season starts.

However, there is a lot of family involvement from the Sanders in this QB battle. His brother, Shilo Sanders, took a dig at reporter Cabot for favoring Watson over Shedeur. On the other hand, NFL legend Deion Sanders recently stated that he would like to meet Monken to let him know how to coach his son.

These are not the brightest ideas when it comes to helping Shedeur. Watson, on the other hand, was involved with the off-the-field controversy of several women filing complaints against him, but all the lawsuits against him have been dropped. Shedeur has kept a clean slate in that regard. But if his family continues to interfere, the team chemistry may seriously be hampered.

Regardless, it may be too early to make predictions. The summer training camp is still left. It will determine whether Watson truly emerges as the QB1 or Shedeur retains his starting position from last season.