The passes that Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders has thrown thus far in the 2026 NFL season have not exactly been top quality. Sanders has made two appearances, filling in for starter Deshaun Watson when Watson has had to be shuffled to the sideline with an injury, in Weeks 3 against Carolina and 8 against the Steelers. He’s played a total of five snaps in 2026 and has completed all three fo the passes he was attempted for, amazingly enough, two total yards. Coach Todd Monken has said that those situations are not necessarily fair to a backup quarterback, to be thrown into the heat of battle the way that Sanders has, but then again, that’s what being a No. 2 quarterback requires.
Still, on Wednesday, after news broke that Deshaun Watson had suffered a concussion on the first-quarter hit from Jaquan Brisker that caused him to leave the game, Monken had a message for Sanders, and anyone who has been following the Browns coach won’t be surprised to learn: It was a message of positivity.
Todd Monken ‘Excited’ for Shedeur Sanders
Rather than be concerned about Watson’s absence for the Browns, Monken was upbeat about Sanders getting his shot.
Said Monken of the Browns mindset: “I can’t wait. It’s so cool. I mean, that’s an opportunity. If it goes that way, then he gets a great opportunity, right, to go play, right? And for us to see him go play. And, you know, again, I don’t know how Deshaun will feel tomorrow. I’m excited for today. I’m excited for us to go out there today.
“… And I can’t wait to see him let it rip today and see where we’re at. I mean, that’s what you do. That’s why you build depth. That’s why he got a ton of reps in fall camp. I mean, that’s really the benefit of all this, is when we opened it up as a competition, he got a ton of those reps.”
Browns Won’t Alter Game Plan
Sanders has been the subject of speculation and rumors in recent weeks, after competing for the starting job throughout the spring and summer and pushing the competition all the way until late August before the Browns finally decided to go with Watson.
With Dillon Gabriel coming off the injured reserve, there was speculation that either Gabriel or Sanders could be traded, though team insiders have consistently rejected that notion.
In the meantime, Monken said the Browns were comfortable with keeping the game plan intact with Sanders: “I don’t think so. I don’t see the way, because the rest of the guys are the same, and they’re similar in some ways. Some things, you know, Shedeur’s skill set is different than Deshaun’s, but still very similar in terms of what we do. We can’t change that dramatically.”
Browns Todd Monken Sends Message to Shedeur Sanders After QB News