What are the Browns looking for in their QB competition?

BEREA, Ohio -- A late practice sequence on Monday encapsulated the highs and lows that can occur in the Cleveland Browns' quarterback competition on a given day. Shedeur Sanders was leading Cleveland's No. 2 offense in an end-of-game situational drill: down 2, near the goal line, with about a dozen seconds remaining and no timeouts left. The objective for Sanders was to attempt a pass into the end zone but leave enough time for a field goal in case of an incompletion. Sanders held the ball too long and finally threw a pass out of the back of the end zone with no time remaining, drawing the ire of coach Todd Monken. About 10 minutes later, Sanders displayed his growth before the snap. Leading a two-minute drill, Sanders signaled a tight end to motion inside and block, properly setting his protection to block the defense's blitz before delivering a deep touchdown pass to wide receiver Gage Larvadain. The quarterback competition between Sanders and Deshaun Watson has delivered plenty of highlights and lowlights in a week-plus of practices. But most importantly to Monken, it has brought teaching moments as he installs a new offense and evaluates each passer, focusing on pre-snap operation and post-snap execution. "I think to say who's ahead is a little extreme," Monken said before Wednesday's practice, the team's seventh camp session. "But we evaluate every day where our roster is, who's where. We try not to knee-jerk react on the one day; that's hard to do. We want every day to go as smooth as it can, and it doesn't, so you have to fight that part of it. We also have to fight; we're in install. We see what you see, and we see a little more in-depth because of the film. But the reality is we're always talking about personnel and the roster; the quarterbacks just happen to be part of that." Sanders and Watson have been alternating first-team reps every practice since the Browns opened training camp on July 29. Each session has consisted of 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s, in addition to various situational drills. Monken said the first eight (including Thursday's) practices will center around installing the offense, adding various portions of the scheme each day. Cleveland opened with zone runs and its short passing game before expanding to longer-developing pass concepts and gap scheme runs once padded practices began Monday. Monken said the installation will end Thursday, and he'll then start calling plays catering to each quarterback's strengths. Beyond how each quarterback looks throwing the ball, Monken has also prioritized perfecting the pre-snap operation. Multiple players have said Monken's scheme heaps plenty of responsibility on the quarterback before the ball is snapped, whether it be audibling into more favorable plays or executing various cadences. Through three practices, Monken had already incorporated 10 different cadences. With those have come a bevy of pre-snap infractions, but in the eyes of the first-year head coach, it's all a part of the learning curve for a new offense. The pre-snap operation has been one of the biggest points of emphasis for Sanders, who in his second season has continued to display a penchant for throwing an accurate deep ball. "Reviewing all the film from last year and the mistakes I made, and just being able to recognize, have a better pre-snap, be able to recognize things better and post-snap, also," Sanders said of his growth. "The fact that our defense gives us a lot of different looks and everything is truly great that we're able to get that in practice." Monken said he has been "highly impressed" by Sanders, dating back to his performance in the offseason workout program. "There's a lot to take in when you're installing," Monken said. "We got through the spring, then we were gone for six weeks, and then you start back up again in a new system. I think you'll continue to see his operation and mechanics improve, and I think that's the biggest part right now is in and out of the huddle, getting to the line of scrimmage, eliminating that anxiety, his anxiety and my anxiety." Watson, who did not play in 2025 after a pair of Achilles surgeries, got off to a slow start in training camp, throwing six interceptions in the first couple of practices. But he delivered his best session to date on Wednesday, throwing multiple touchdowns during 7-on-7 red zone drills. Monken previously downplayed Watson's spate of turnovers, saying they can be positive lessons, so long as the same mistakes aren't repeated. "The biggest thing for me is just letting my instincts take over -- not doing anything extra, not doing anything less, just staying balanced and letting it come," Watson said. "Day to day it's getting better, and honestly, I think the biggest thing is just playing football. Whenever the preseason games come up and we're out there playing, I think that's where we can learn. Each game is just an opportunity to get better at it." Monken said he'll continue to alternate first-team reps between Watson and Sanders until a starter is named. For the time being, the expectation is that both passers will start one of the first two preseason games, with the Browns' preseason opener against the Chicago Bears looming on Aug. 15. "I don't think you're really going to know until you get through all the installs, because we're not game-planning against our own defense," Monken said. "Each day has been a different part of the pass game, so it's hard to really [tell]. And one day you go with the 1s, the other day you go with the 2s; certainly that matchup is going to be different depending on who you're going against. "The most important thing is, from a process standpoint, how are we operating at the line of scrimmage, where are their eyes, have they taken command of one, the huddle, and then cadence, and then understanding the concepts. I think they're all doing good, they're all fine. All of our players are working through mistakes and fighting like hell to get better."