Todd Monken entered his first season with the Cleveland Browns, hoping to name a starting quarterback before the team’s training camp begins in July.
It doesn’t appear that will happen, as the 60-year-old coach acknowledged the battle between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson will more than likely continue beyond the team’s mandatory minicamp.
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Per usual, Monken was asked whether he would be able to choose a starting quarterback by the time Cleveland’s minicamp ends on June 11.
“I’m not going to name a No. 1,” Monken told reporters on June 9.
Monken later clarified that he shouldn’t categorically rule out naming a starter but repeated that “chances are” the two-man competition between Sanders and Watson could continue.
“I just don’t see it after the way Shedeur has played and Deshaun’s played,” Monken said of choosing a starter. “They’ve both played well enough to earn the right to compete to start.”
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Monken’s comments come after the team’s first of three minicamp practices. Sanders was given all of the first-team reps at the team’s June 9 practice and Watson played exclusively with the second team.
Monken confirmed the quarterback rotation would change the following day, as it has throughout Cleveland’s offseason workout program. He also noted he was impressed with what he had seen from both quarterbacks at Tuesday’s practice.
“I thought they both functioned at a high level,” Monken told reporters.
So, when might Monken’s decision come? He wouldn’t commit to a concrete timeline but noted he is looking forward to seeing the quarterbacks in pads once training camp rolls around.
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“I would have hoped (to choose a starter), but I like both of them,” Monken said. “I don’t know what to say. It’s really as simple as that. I like both of them, and we haven’t had the pads on. That’s the hard thing. As much as I’d love to make that decision, either by someone separating themselves upward or downward, either way, which has not occurred, and we haven’t even gotten to practicing against an opponent, putting the pads on, having a controlled scrimmage or playing preseason games.
“I think you’d love to have the starter named,” Monken added, while noting he was just “being honest.” “I just can’t do it. I’m not there yet. That’s the reality of it.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Browns starting QB decision on hold as coach says ‘I just can’t do it’
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