Cleveland Browns quarterback dilemma is not ending anytime soon. Both Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are still hustling to win the battle, showing their skills through the preseason and trying to impress new head coach Todd Monken. But turns out he is not the one behind this decision.

“But Todd Monken doesn’t make any calls,” Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson said on the Nightcap. “The final say-so comes from the person who signed the check, regardless of what Todd Monken says. I know it’s his first year. But from a business standpoint, again, people say, ‘Oh, you don’t know what you’re talking about.’ That’s all smoke and mirrors.

“You know who’s going to be under center. And I say it again. I say it time and time again. It’s his (Watson’s) job to lose. And if he’s healthy, they’re not just going to cut him because if they’re going to cut him, he’d be gone already.”

Back in January, ESPN reported that GM Andrew Berry mentioned that the new head coach “will also have a lot of input” in the QB decision, but this statement makes it clear that the decision is not all on Todd Monken, and owner Jimmy Haslam will still have the final decision.

As of now, Deshaun Watson is clearly leading the QB1 race. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Watson currently has the “leg up” over Sanders as he is “more well-versed in the Browns’ operations.”

Plus, the Browns made a huge commitment to Watson. After trading for him from the Houston Texans, Cleveland gave him a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. Not starting Watson is not really an option for the Browns right now.

Injury can be a factor that might give reins to Shedeur Sanders, as Watson has a long history of it. First, he tore his right Achilles in Week 7 of the 2024 season and later tore it again, requiring another surgery that kept him out for the entire 2025 season.

For now, both quarterbacks are getting reps in preseason games, but Watson is clearly getting an advantage there too.

In the first preseason game against the Chicago Bears, Deshaun Watson started and played the entire first half. He completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions. However, Watson did lose a fumble after getting sacked.

Shedeur Sanders entered in the third quarter and played into the fourth quarter. He completed 6 of 11 passes for 79 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception, finishing with a 39.6 passer rating. He also ran the ball twice for three yards and lost a fumble.

Still, Sanders showed that he can make big plays when he connected with Luke Floriea for a 35-yard gain, which was one of Cleveland’s best passing plays of the game.

Now, it’s all in the Browns’ hands: either they start one of them ahead of the 2026 season or play with both.