Deshaun Watson is officially the Week 1 starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which, let’s be real, already had Browns fans boiling over. They wanted Shedeur Sanders, the young, polarizing fan-favorite with some real upside. But now, it gets even wilder. Browns head coach Todd Monken just dropped a bombshell, telling reporters like Mary Kat Cabot of Cleveland.com that there’s a world where sixth-round pick Taylen Green could be the active No. 2 QB over Sanders for Sunday’s opener. Are you kidding me?!
Wait, Taylen Green is WHERE on the Depth Chart?
Seriously, this is a head-scratcher of epic proportions. Taylen Green walked into training camp as the fourth-string quarterback. Sanders and Watson were slugging it out for QB1, and Dillon Gabriel was chilling as the likely emergency third QB. Then Gabriel lands on injured reserve, pushing Green up to third. Fine, whatever. But now, Monken is actually thinking about elevating Green even further, making him the backup for Week 1? The same guy who was dead last just weeks ago? This decision is baffling, plain and simple.
The Green Package and The Sanders Snub
Monken did try to give some context, mentioning there “could be a package where we have him” on the field, hinting at Green’s athleticism. And yeah, getting an athletic QB involved in special packages isn’t the craziest idea ever. But making him the *backup*? That’s a huge leap. If Watson goes down, throwing Green into the fire this early in the season feels like a risk way too big to take. November or December, sure, let the kid get some reps. But right now, Sanders should be locked in as the backup. The Browns *could* activate three QBs, with Sanders at QB2 and Green at QB3 behind Watson, but Monken himself admitted, “three is a lot.” That means there’s a small, scary chance that Sanders, who took the starting competition right down to the wire this summer, could be a healthy inactive for Week 1. Browns fans, how are you not absolutely losing your minds over this?
This whole situation puts so much pressure on Week 1 against the Jaguars. If Watson falters, and Green is the only option, what then? This early season decision could set the tone for the entire year, and right now, it feels like they’re choosing chaos.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
Leave a Reply