The Browns still have not named a starting quarterback, and Todd Monken said Wednesday the team has enough talent in the room that it does not have to rush the call. After weeks of practice without a definitive answer, he described the competition as one with two players who could open the season under center.
That is why the Browns Qb Battle 2026 keeps drawing attention now: the club is working through the decision in real time, not after the fact, and the question remains open at OTAs and beyond. Dillon Gabriel, who was the starter to begin last season, is in the mix, while Watson has reportedly been the offseason focus and may even have the inside track at least initially.
Monken did not sound like a coach looking for a quick finish. He said both quarterbacks have done enough to keep the race alive because the Browns have not been in pads and have not played a game yet. He also said he shifts his lean one way or the other almost every day, then summed up the room in plain terms: “I just tell you, we got two starting level quarterbacks. We really do.”
That leaves the Browns in a familiar but unfinished place. They are content to let the battle play out longer before naming one, even as the calendar moves deeper into the offseason and every practice rep starts to matter more. Monken’s Wednesday comments did not clarify the room, and the team has not said when that answer will come.
The competition has also spilled into the details around the field. Jared Verse arrived at Browns practice after the blockbuster trade that sent 2025 Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Rams for Verse and multiple draft picks, and he immediately wore number 8. Gabriel is wearing number 8 at OTAs too, though only one player can keep it in the regular season.
That is the clearest sign of where this stands: the Browns are still sorting a starting job and even the number on a jersey is unsettled. Until the team finally names one quarterback, every practice day will keep carrying the same question with it.
