Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken pulled no punches after the second day of OTAs.
Monken called interceptions thrown during seven-on-seven drills “embarrassing” — a pointed message to a quarterback room that is still sorting out the depth chart.
“We threw interceptions in seven-on-seven, for God’s sake. I mean, who does that? There’s no pass rush,” Monken said Wednesday. “I mean, it’s embarrassing.”
Shedeur Sanders threw a tipped ball interception to new Browns cornerback Myles Harden during the session, while Dillon Gabriel was picked off by undrafted free agent cornerback Michael Coats Jr. Deshaun Watson did not throw an interception. Rookie Taylen Green did not get in a lot of work in the team drills.
The blunt assessment came on the same day Monken offered some of his most encouraging words yet about Sanders’ development as he enters his second NFL season.
“I think Shedeur has come miles in terms of his progressions, getting the ball out, his understanding of concepts,” Monken said. “I think he’s really, really come a long way.”
It’s not the first time Monken has praised Sanders. Earlier this offseason, he called his playmaking ability “elite,” while acknowledging he still has a long way to go.
Browns QB Situation Still Undecided
Despite the praise, Monken made clear the quarterback competition remains open. When pressed on whether anything had changed in the battle between Sanders and Watson, the first-year head coach declined to go into detail.
“Nothing’s really changed other than it’s a different day and you’re firing the same questions,” Monken said. “We’re going to rotate those guys and play the best player. We’ll see.”
On a timeline for naming a starter, Monken was equally noncommittal — though he did put a hard deadline on it.
“You’d love to have it at every position at the end of spring, but you can’t guarantee that. … We’ll have it set for Jacksonville,” Monken said, a reference to Cleveland’s Week 1 opener.
Browns May Look to ‘Salvage’ Deal With Deshaun Watson
Watson has taken the majority of first-team reps during offseason workouts, and there is reported momentum behind him entering the competition as the frontrunner. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Monken and Watson have hit it off in their early work together.
“Talking to people around the league, they believe that Watson could eventually earn this job because he’s a veteran presence and if he can get back to just 70 or 80 percent of what he was from those Houston days, maybe they can sort of salvage this trade; get one productive year out of him,” Fowler said.
Sanders started seven games as a fifth-round rookie in 2025, going 3-4 while completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. For the Browns, he represents the higher-upside option if he can prove he’s capable of winning games and delivering consistent play. His fifth-round rookie contract also gives Cleveland valuable roster-building flexibility. That said, the Browns have made it clear the quarterback decision will be based on performance, not long-term contract considerations.
OTAs will continue over the next three weeks. The Browns’ mandatory minicamp is scheduled for June 9-11, which figures to be the next major checkpoint in the quarterback competition before training camp.
Browns Put Shedeur Sanders on Notice With Embarrassing Label