Shedeur Sanders took first-team reps in Todd Monken’s first Browns practice — but he wasn’t the only one

BEREA, Ohio — On the first day of Cleveland Browns voluntary minicamp, two quarterbacks received first-team snaps.

Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson each received first-team snaps during team drills during the first meaningful practice under new head coach Todd Monken. Dillon Gabriel did not receive first-team snaps.

That structure was intentional, Monken said, and a recommendation from quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian that Monken approved.

Sanders received first-team snaps initially in 11-on-11 drills.

“He was first man up,” Monken said Tuesday afternoon. “The way it was going to turn out, Shedeur was going to get more reps, some of it in [seven on seven] some of it in [11 on 11]. Team periods were slowed down [and] set up in a way for us to get a look at all of them.

“The plan was to have Shedeur get a few more reps but have Deshaun and Shedeur both have reps with the ones.”

Monken said the distribution of first-team snaps will change throughout this week’s three-day voluntary minicamp. He pushed back on the characterization that Sanders and Watson are the two candidates with a chance to start.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a two-man race,” Monken said. “I would just say that at every position, there’s competition. Irrespective of the reps they get, which I’ve said before, everybody ought to be competing.”

Monken praised Gabriel’s “professionalism” and “intelligence,” Gabriel saying he’s focused on controlling what he can control and running his own race.

The Browns selected Gabriel in the third round of last year’s NFL Draft and then selected Sanders in the fifth round. Cleveland acquired Watson in a trade from the Houston Texans in 2022. But since the Browns paid a handsome cost for Watson that included three first-round picks, Watson has sustained a shoulder injury and ACL tears that have sidelined him since October 2024. Between those injuries and his 11-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, Watson has missed 49 of 68 regular-season contests in his four years as a Brown. 

Watson returned to practice in December after undergoing a second ACL repair in January 2025. Monken said he did not see rust from those injuries during Tuesday’s two-hour practice session.

“The ball’s coming out great,” Monken said. “I can’t get into his body to know how his body felt. But he moved around great and the ball came out great.”

Defense ahead of offense in Browns minicamp team drills

Sanders, Watson and Gabriel began practice by cycling through footwork drills and throwing routes on air. Watson’s movement was fluid during transitions and handoffs, and he spoke to players on the side after some reps including advising a tryout receiver, Keith Kirkwood, after they shared the field during a second-team, 11-on-11 snap.

 Sanders hit receiver Isaiah Bond in the flat during team drills on consecutive plays at one point.

The defense got a hand on a ball from each quarterback across seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills, twice securing interceptions and once a pass breakup.

 Linebacker Quincy Williams dove for a pass breakup of Watson during a first-team snap on which Watson targeted Bond. The next play, Watson hit receiver Malachi Corley in traffic on an intermediate route.

 Corley had more trouble on a later seven-on-seven deep ball down the right sideline from Sanders, Corley slowing briefly along his route before speeding up too late. Cornerback D’Angelo Ross intercepted the pass. 

Gabriel’s interception came after safety Daniel Thomas batted a pass and tryout safety JT Woods then caught its deflection for the pick.

Sanders said the practice, including his throw to Corley, offered an opportunity for accountability. 

“I threw Malachi a go ball and he slowed down and I said, ‘Hey,’ I gave him that look [and] said ‘Bro, we can’t afford that,’” Sanders said. “So you give guys chances and some things go your way, some things don’t. But at the end of the day we had a serious, deeper connection … So next time he got out there, lined up one on one and he was able to go get it.”

Monken acknowledged the need to improve ball security but praised the quarterbacks’ command at the line of scrimmage.

“I thought the quarterbacks functioned unbelievably today in terms of checking plays, getting us out of [audibled plays],” he said. “I thought they were in command. I never felt at one time like they were lost. I thought all the work they put in the last couple weeks leading up to today… to me, that’s the start of it. The start of it is how we function, how they lead, is there a belief system and who has the ball in their hands every play.”

What the Browns QB competition will consider

Browns general manager Andrew Berry has acknowledged the possibility the Browns draft a quarterback at some point this week. For now, Sanders and Watson appear to be the leaders in the clubhouse.

Sanders completed 56.6% of his passes in eight games, seven starts, last season. He threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in addition to rushing 21 times for 169 yards and one score.

The Browns won three of seven games he started.

Across his career, Watson has completed 66.2% of passes for 17,904 yards, 123 touchdowns and 48 interceptions with a 37-35 record in starts.

His Browns tenure has paled in comparison to his Texans production, Watson’s passer rating down from 104.5 to 80.7. The Browns won just one of seven games he started in 2024, Watson’s touchdown percentage down from his 5.3% career average to 2.3%.

The Browns will monitor which quarterback’s skill set and command of the offense will best position them to succeed from Week 1.

Last year, the Browns had four quarterbacks competing in the offseason and ultimately started veteran Joe Flacco in Week 1. And yet, Flacco was limited through practices in the spring and training camp because the Browns did not believe he needed the same amount of development that they were giving first to Kenny Pickett and then Gabriel.

Watson has a much deeper bank of mental reps at the NFL level but also has missed significant time, his last live reps coming in October of 2024.

How will the quarterbacks learn their new playbook, as they transition from Kevin Stefanski’s offense to that of Monken?

“I know how I learn,” Sanders said when asked. “Knowing that I know how I learn is great. The coaches are able to communicate in different ways to help you learn and that’s why I appreciate the coaching staff, honestly. 

“You could say somebody don’t know how to learn but it’s like, how did the person get all the way to this level if he don’t know how to learn?

“So then you got to change the perspective and think: Does he not know how to learn or do I not know how to communicate with him?”

Watson did not address reporters Tuesday.

Sanders thanked coaches for embracing him and said he did not want to make schematic comparisons between last season and this one because he wanted to focus on positivity and looking forward. He said he would review the tape and situational room for growth from last year — Sanders said Monken’s recent conversation about the importance of daily regiments resonated with him — but otherwise was trying to remove negativity from his life.

“I recalibrated my life to view everything as fun,” Sanders said.

Including the quarterback competition?

“We’re competing against ourselves,” Sanders said.“That’s not up to me. I go out there every day and focus on what I can control.

“If I focused on something I can’t control, I’d be living the wrong way.”