INDIANAPOLIS — New Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken acknowledged "elite" playmaking ability in Shedeur Sanders but stopped short of handing him the starting quarterback job, instead declaring an open competition for the position that could extend deep into the offseason.

The competition presumably involves Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson—and possibly others. It's the latest iteration of a quarterback crisis that has plagued the franchise since they traded Baker Mayfield three years ago.

"I don't know why it wouldn't be an open competition," Monken said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. "I don't think there's enough on film over the last couple of years one way or the other to say, 'Boy, we have a starter at quarterback' yet."

Sanders' Uneven First Season

The 24-year-old Sanders, a fifth-round pick, completed just 56.6% of his passes in his rookie year while throwing seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He finished the season as the starter and flashed highlight-reel moments but battled inconsistency throughout.

Gabriel, the Browns' 25-year-old third-round pick, proved slightly more efficient in six starts: 59.9% completion rate with seven touchdowns and only two interceptions. Yet the team went 1-5 in Gabriel's starts compared to 3-4 with Sanders, and Sanders demonstrated far more explosive potential.

Watson's Murky Status

Complicating matters further is the possible return of 30-year-old Deshaun Watson, who is entering the final year of his fully guaranteed $230 million contract—the anchor that has weighed down the franchise since the 2022 trade. Watson hasn't appeared in a game since October 2024, when he suffered the first of two tears to his right Achilles tendon.

Despite the injury concerns, Monken suggested Watson shouldn't be counted out if healthy. "I think any time that you have a player that, at one time, has exhibited the skill set at an elite level, I think you're always going to give them the benefit of the doubt," he said. "I'm going to let it play out."

More QBs on the Way?

Both Monken and general manager Andrew Berry hinted the Browns could add another quarterback through free agency or the draft. The team has selections at No. 24 and No. 39 in the 2026 draft and isn't ruling out using one of them on a quarterback—a move that echoes last year's decision to draft both Gabriel and Sanders in consecutive rounds.

Monken expressed hope of naming a starter before training camp begins but left open the possibility the competition could linger longer. "Whether we get to that place, I don't know," he said. "That'll be determined in the offseason as part of it."