Shedeur Sanders took first-team reps in Todd Monken’s first Browns practice — but he wasn’t the only one
BEREA, Ohio — On the first day of Cleveland Browns voluntary minicamp, two quarterbacks received first-team snaps. Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson each received first-team snaps during team drills during the first meaningful practice under new head coach Todd Monken. Dillon Gabriel did not receive first-team snaps.
That structure was intentional, Monken said, and a recommendation from quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian that Monken approved. Sanders received first-team snaps initially in 11-on-11 drills. “He was first man up,” Monken said Tuesday afternoon.
“The way it was going to turn out, Shedeur was going to get more reps, some of it in [seven on seven] some of it in [11 on 11]. Team periods were slowed down [and] set up in a way for us to get a look at all of them. “The plan was to have Shedeur get a few more reps but have Deshaun and Shedeur both have reps with the ones.
” Todd Monken said Browns intentionally structured practice for both Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson to get QB1 reps in team drills, with plan for Shedeur to get more reps pic. twitter. com/rJGwUPnw7Z — Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) April 21, 2026 Monken said the distribution of first-team snaps will change throughout this week’s three-day voluntary minicamp.
He pushed back on the characterization that Sanders and Watson are the two candidates with a chance to start. “I wouldn't say it’s a two-man race,” Monken said. “I would just say that at every position, there’s competition.
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