Shedeur Sanders vs. Deshaun Watson QB decision for Browns has new deadline

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Shedeur Sanders vs. Deshaun Watson QB decision for Browns has new deadline originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

After mandatory minicamp and OTAs, the Cleveland Browns quarterback competition hit a standstill as Shedeur Sanders seemingly forced Todd Monken to wait to make his decision.

Deshaun Watson was the frontrunner, but Sanders bridged the gap, and now it's a very tight race. Either could wind up as QB1 for the Browns in 2026. But, amid this competition, a new deadline, or "last call," has been revealed for a decision.

According to Zac Jackson of The Athletic, Monken and the Browns will have to decide on their QB1 for 2026 with a "last call" of August 20 and 22, as those are the dates of their joint practice and preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.

Browns QB competition has Bills' preseason deadline​

"The fourth week of camp features the Browns' Aug. 20 joint practice ahead of the Browns-Bills preseason game on Aug. 22," Jackson writes. "Assuming both Watson and Sanders stay healthy and neither clearly wins the competition early in August, that joint practice and preseason game probably serve as something close to last call for Monken to make a decision."

With training camp set to get underway, the Browns have yet to determine who their starting quarterback will be. It's either going to be Sanders or Watson, but no decision has been made.

This competition might carry into August, and if it lasts until that late-August joint practice and preseason game against the Bills, Jackson expects that to be the deadline for a decision from Monken.

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He notes that only three weeks after that preseason game, the Browns will start the regular season. It wouldn't be ideal if there's still no starting QB that close to the regular season.

Both QBs will get a chance to prove they deserve to be a starter, and unless there's an injury or one stands out as clearly better than the other, this decision might linger for some time.

Monken can't wait forever, and probably shouldn't wait until the preseason finale against the New England Patriots on August 27.

This decision has a soft deadline of August 22, as that will give the Browns' first-team offense three weeks to fully jell before the season begins. Waiting any longer, and they'd be cutting it close with being fully ready for the regular season.

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