Who will be the starting quarterback for the Browns in the 2026 season? That debate is raging on among fans while new head coach Todd Monken is yet to give any hints on the roster.

Former NFL player Ross Tucker has talked about it. "I really don't like the timing of this for the Browns. I wish Todd Monken could get some time with Shedeur and Deshaun before they have to make these decisions. I like the idea quite a bit of Malik Willis running Todd Monken's offense." However, there's a risk factor with each of these options.

Deshaun Watson

Based on his resume, Watson is the most experienced and talented quarterback the Browns have. But the 3x Pro Bowler has not played like that for the Browns. In 19 games, he has thrown for only 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, getting a passer rating of 80.7.

Plus, he has never finished a season with the Browns since arriving in 2022. The NFL suspended him in 2022, and then a shoulder injury ended his 2023 season early. In 2024, he suffered a torn Achilles tendon and missed the rest of the year, before reinjuring it in 2025 and missing the whole season.

Browns journalist Mary Kay Cabot has said in her report that, "Browns coach Todd Monken acknowledged on the day he was hired that he’s 'intrigued' by three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson."

Shedeur Sanders

Shedeur Sanders is arguably the most polarizing quarterback in the Browns' locker room. Unfortunately, his performance has not matched his initial hype.

Sanders threw for 364 yards, 3 touchdowns, and rushed for 1 touchdown against the Titans. He became the first quarterback for the Cleveland Browns since 1950 to have such numbers. Plus, he joined Joe Burrow as the only rookie QB in the Super Bowl era to do so. But that's it.

He had a passer rating of 68.1 with 1,400 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 8 games in 2025. His QBR was 18.9, the lowest ever for a Browns quarterback with at least six starts. Sanders' EPA was -0.21, and his first 7 starts rank 167th out of 184 NFL QBs in EPA since 2000.

Among quarterbacks whose EPA (Expected Points Added) was -0.18 or worse, like Sanders, only about 8%, including Jared Goff and Alex Smith, went on to have successful careers. Todd Monken has once again spoken positively about him, but there are big question marks over him.

Dillon Gabriel

Dillon Gabriel might be the most underrated QB in the Browns. He had a passer rating of 80.8 with 937 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in 10 games in 2025. The numbers are, of course, better than Sanders' but fans have argued that Gabriel faced easier defenses.

With Gabriel as the primary quarterback, the Browns lost 9 out of 10 games. So should they bring in someone from outside?

The 2026 draft cannot get them a QB since they have the 6th pick. Free Agency is an option, and Malik Willis has been making a lot of noise.

Malik Willis

He signed a 4-year, $5.16 M rookie deal with the Titans in 2022 and was traded to the Packers in 2024, serving as backup for Jordan Love. The contract ended with the 2025 season, and he's being linked to the Browns.

Willis had one game as a starter this past season, which was against the Ravens on December 27. The Packers lost it 24-41 on the scorecard. In 2025, he had a passer rating of 145.5 with 422 yards and 3 touchdowns in 4 games. But he has never been a primary QB.

Plus, the rumor is that the Browns must offer him $20 million to have him on the team. However, as per Deshaun Watson's contract, the Browns must pay him $46 million (base salary) in 2026. So would they risk limiting more cap space for another QB when they already have three on the team?

Would you take him ahead of Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, and Dillon Gabriel? Or should the Browns work with what they have? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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Written by

Reyansh Dubey