The Cleveland Browns are fresh off a dismal showing in their second preseason contest against the Buffalo Bills, as they suffered a 31-7 defeat. Perhaps more concerning is the fact that Deshaun Watson struggled under center, which has seemingly opened the door for Shedeur Sanders to steal the starting job from him.
All signs point to head coach Todd Monken coming to a decision on the Browns’ starting quarterback within the next 24 hours, so all eyes are on this team right now. Before doing that, though, Monken shared his game plan for the quarterback position when it comes to Cleveland’s preseason finale against the New England Patriots.
Dillon Gabriel Set to Start Browns’ Preseason Finale vs. Patriots
After taking over as the Browns’ new head coach, Monken indicated that there would be an open competition for the starting quarterback job between Watson and Sanders. While he hasn’t played since midway through the 2024 campaign, Watson has seemingly been in the pole position to win this job from the get-go.
A poor performance against the Bills, though, could change things, as Watson completed just five of his 12 pass attempts for 36 yards and an interception. Sanders was better, completing nine of his 11 passes for 74 yards to go along with a touchdown and an interception. With the Browns’ coaching staff reportedly putting a lot of weight on each player’s performance against Buffalo, you can bet that Watson’s struggles stood out.
That has left Monken in a tough spot, but with two preseason games in the book, he’s seen enough to make a decision on the starter. There is still one more preseason contest on the schedule, but Cleveland won’t be playing its starters for this game. Instead, Monken will give Dillon Gabriel the start, with Taylen Green also set to factor into the mix.
“Thursday night will be Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green at QB for the Browns, per Todd Monken,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN shared in a post on X. “No more preseason game action for Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.”
All Eyes Are on Todd Monken as Browns’ Quarterback Decision Looms
GettyBEREA, OHIO – JULY 29: Shedeur Sanders #2 and Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns run a drill during Cleveland Browns Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on July 29, 2026 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Gabriel was actually selected ahead of Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he never truly factored into the mix in the quarterback competition this year. He will stick around with the team to begin the year, but he’s going to be the No. 3 option behind whichever combination of Watson and Sanders fall ahead of him.
So far in his pro career, Gabriel hasn’t shown much to indicate he can hold his own as an NFL-level passer, so it will be worth seeing what he’s capable of against the Patriots. This revelation doesn’t take away from the fact that all eyes are on Monken to see what he decides to do with Watson and Sanders, and this announcement regarding Gabriel only further confirms that a final call on the starting quarterback is right around the corner.
Todd Monken Makes Quarterback Announcement Before Browns’ Preseason Finale