2026 Cleveland Browns training camp: Latest intel, updates

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          Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson: Who should start for the Browns? (2:02)

          • Daniel OyefusiAug 11, 2026, 05:50 PM ET
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              Daniel Oyefusi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN. Prior to ESPN, he covered the Miami Dolphins for the Miami Herald, as well as the Baltimore Ravens for The Baltimore Sun.
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          The 2026 NFL training camps have kicked off around the league, and our team reporters are on the ground each day following all the action. The Cleveland Browns camp is taking place at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus and Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi has the latest intel on standouts, highlights, position battles, depth chart movement, cut decisions and of course the quarterback room.

          What follows is everything we are seeing and hearing at Browns camp. We will update this file often. The biggest question for Cleveland remains who will be the starting QB? Who are the breakout players to watch, especially for fantasy football? And which players on the roster bubble could make the final 53?

          Dive in to all the updates and be sure to check back for more information until the first full week of the preseason begins Aug. 13.

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          Tuesday, Aug. 11

          Four days before their preseason opener against the Chicago Bears on Saturday, the Browns listed "Deshaun Watson OR Shedeur Sanders" at starting quarterback in their first unofficial depth chart.

          Coach Todd Monken has yet to announce which quarterback will start in Chicago, but spoke about the value the preseason adds for evaluating the two passers.

          "It does, in terms of getting the ball out, got to learn to get the ball out. Got to learn how to slide," Monken said. "You're not going to be able to just run around. I do want playmaking ability, so there is a balance there between playmaking ability and taking some sacks. You're going to have to live with that to an extent.

          "The other part is stacking plays, where it matters, because they got the scoreboard on in terms of points you put on the board. In terms of the flow of the game, that's a big part of it. We're going to be on the road. The ebbs and flows of positive plays and negative plays, overcoming that. I think there's a part of the quarterback's body language, how they are around the team. Do I sense, 'Hey, that's over. I've moved on to the next play.' So there's a number of things you get to evaluate once you get to the closest we have in terms of games, which is preseason."

          With rookie Spencer Fano securing a starting role at left tackle, Monken said the only starting position on the offensive line up in the air is right guard. Teven Jenkins and KT Leveston have been rotating at the spot.

          "I think Teven has the advantage there from experience," Monken said.

          More observations:

          Monday, Aug. 10

          Coach Todd Monken explained the change in the quarterback rotation last Saturday.

          Though Monken said before the practice that Shedeur Sanders would get a "majority" of first-team reps, he said he was later informed that Sanders had received more padded practices with the starters than Watson in the week. So Monken changed the order of reps.

          Sanders practiced with the starting offense Monday, while Watson led the No. 2 offense.

          "As long as we're still sharing reps, it's a competition," Monken said.

          Monken also said he has not decided which quarterback will start the preseason opener in Chicago on Saturday, but he intends to start Watson in one of the first two preseason games and Sanders in the other.

          "I'd like to get our starters out there for the first series together [in the preseason opener]," Monken said.

          More observations:

          Saturday, Aug. 8

          The Browns made a major change to the quarterback rotation in their 10th practice.

          Despite Shedeur Sanders being scheduled to lead the No. 1 offense in his alternating reps with Watson, it was Watson who took every starting rep in team drills. Sanders split the remaining reps with Dillon Gabriel.

          Before practice, coach Todd Monken indicated that there might be a 7-on-7 session in which Watson threw to the team's top pass-catchers but added that "Shedeur will take the majority of the 1 reps today."

          The Browns are off Sunday, and Monken said the coaching staff would use that time to discuss which quarterback will start the preseason opener against the Bears next Saturday in Chicago.

          More observations:

          Friday, Aug. 7

          The Browns had a lighter practice indoors and in helmets on Friday, as they are set to practice in pads for more than two hours on Saturday. It was still an eventful session, with all the quarterbacks pushing the ball downfield in team drills.

          Deshaun Watson looked his most comfortable attempting deep passes in camp so far. He connected with wide receiver Isaiah Bond for a long gain in 11-on-11s and also found wideout Jerry Jeudy for a 40-yard touchdown in 7-on-7s. Toward the end of practice during a two-minute drill, Watson evaded the pass rush and rolled out to his left before throwing a pass into the end zone that Bond leapt up and caught.

          More observations:

          Thursday, Aug. 6

          The Browns' eighth day of practice concluded the installation of coach Todd Monken's offense. Going forward, Monken said practices would focus more on situational football, "premier plays," and work against defensive looks that Cleveland will see from opponents this season.

          "What we're trying to do is stack as many good plays as we can within what we're asking them to do on a given day," Monken said. "I'd much prefer stacking really good days, but as the head coach, if the offense is stacking really good days, it probably means the defense wasn't stacking a very good day. So, within every practice there's usually give and take, some ebb and flow of practice -- some things you all don't see, and some things that at the moment we don't see until we see it on tape. So it's really about how many plays in a row can we stack?"

          More observations:

          Wednesday, Aug. 5

          Quarterback Deshaun Watson had a slow start to training camp but had his best day to date on Wednesday. After two consecutive practices in pads, the Browns practiced in shoulder pads and helmets and ran extensive red zone and goal line 7-on-7 drills. Watson excelled, throwing multiple touchdowns, but he also looked more in sync and confident pushing the ball downfield in other team drills.

          "I think to say who's ahead is a little extreme," Browns coach Todd Monken said before practice. "But we evaluate every day where our roster is, who's where. We try not to knee-jerk react on the one day; that's hard to do. We want every day to go as smooth as it can, and it doesn't, so you have to fight that part of it. We also have to fight; we're in install. We see what you see, and we see a little more in-depth because of the film. But the reality is we're always talking about personnel and the roster; the quarterbacks just happen to be part of that."

          Another observation:

          Tuesday, Aug. 4

          Quarterback Shedeur Sanders, leading the No. 1 offense in Cleveland's quarterback competition today, led a two-minute drill that ended in a field goal.

          It marked the second straight day Sanders led a successful two-minute drill to end practice.

          "I've been highly impressed over the last four months that I've been around him with how far he's come as a player, and he's only going to continue to get better," Browns coach Todd Monken said. "There's a lot to take in when you're installing. We got through the spring, then we were gone for six weeks, and then you start back up again in a new system. I think you'll continue to see his operation and mechanics improve, and I think that's the biggest part right now is in and out of the huddle, getting to the line of scrimmage, eliminating that anxiety, his anxiety and my anxiety."

          More observations from the day:

          Monday, Aug. 3

          On the first practice with pads for the Browns, quarterback Shedeur Sanders ended the day on a high note for Cleveland's offense. Running the No. 2 offense in the ongoing quarterback competition with Deshaun Watson, Sanders connected with wide receiver Gage Larvadain for a deep touchdown on a slot fade to end a two-minute drill in the end zone.

          One play before the touchdown, Sanders found wideout Tylan Wallace on a back-shoulder fade to put the offense in scoring position. Sanders also threw an earlier touchdown in team drills after rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion got behind the secondary for a deep score.

          More observations:

          • Concepcion had an injury scare in a previous two-minute drill for the No. 1 offense when he had a hard fall while trying to make a catch and grabbed his right shoulder. Concepcion walked off the field under his own power and remained on the sideline as practice ended shortly thereafter. He is believed to have avoided a serious injury.

          • Linebacker Carson Schwesinger did not participate in practice for a second consecutive day because of what coach Todd Monken called a "minor injury."

          • In addition to Schwesinger, tight end Joe Royer (personal), defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr., offensive linemen Kendrick Green and Teven Jenkins, wide receiver Jamari Thrash and defensive tackles Kalia Davis and Maliek Collins (PUP) did not practice.

          • Thrash, who also did not practice Saturday, was on the field before practice catching passes from a Jugs machine with a brace around his left leg.

          • Cornerback Myles Bryant left practice early with a member of the team's medical staff.

          • The Browns signed defensive tackle Travis Bell, who most recently played in the UFL, and waived running back T.J. Harden.

          Saturday, Aug. 1

          It was an opportunistic afternoon for the Browns' defense, which intercepted five passes on the fourth day of practice.

          Three of those picks were thrown by Deshaun Watson, who now has six interceptions in four practices, with Christopher Edmonds getting two and safety Donovan McMillon getting another. Rookie safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren made a strong play on the first interception, dislodging a ball from tight end Jack Stoll that Edmonds caught off the ricochet.

          Shedeur Sanders was also intercepted for the first time in training camp, as he underthrew a deep pass to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and was picked off by cornerback D'Angelo Ross.

          Dillon Gabriel was also intercepted by linebacker Reid Carrico in a red zone drill.

          The three quarterbacks, though, had success in the red zone drills, with each throwing multiple short touchdown passes.

          "It's multiple -- they're doing all types of different stuff, showing us different things," Watson said of Cleveland's defense before practice. "It's really good, especially for the quarterbacks, running backs and O-line, just protectionwise. They're showing us different things every time, and each group is getting different looks."

          More observations from the day:

          Friday, July 31

          Browns rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston was one of the standouts from the spring offseason workout program and has continued stacking strong performances in training camp. He had one of the catches of camp, leaping over a defensive back along the sideline to bring in a pass from quarterback Shedeur Sanders in 7-on-7s.

          The No. 39 pick out of Washington in the 2026 draft, Boston gives Cleveland a size dimension at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds that the offense lacked in the 2025 season. He has been working with the second-team offense when the Browns break into two fields to maximize reps but is expected to have a big role as a rookie.

          More observations from the day:

          • Quarterback Deshaun Watson took first-team reps Friday and threw his third interception in as many practices when he was picked off by linebacker Quincy Williams over the middle of the field.

          • Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said that despite Cleveland's projected 5.5-win total, he expects the team to improve from its 5-12 season in 2025. "I'll take the over," Haslam said.

          • Running backs coach Duce Staley said running back Quinshon Judkins "worked his ass off" to return from a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula that ended his season in Week 16. "The sky is the limit ... I think that Q can play all three downs," Staley said.

          • Linebacker Carson Schwesinger, the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2025, said new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg connected him with Pro Football Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly, whom Schwesinger grew up idolizing. "He was great, said whatever I needed, any questions ... it's great to have that resource," Schwesinger said.

          • Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. missed practice because of personal reasons. Offensive lineman Teven Jenkins also missed practice, while defensive tackle Kalia Davis was sidelined for a second consecutive day. Rookie tight end Joe Royer (personal) remained out.

          • Nickel corner Myles Harden left practice early with a trainer.

          Thursday, July 30

          Shedeur Sanders took the first-team reps on the second day of training camp, alternating with Deshaun Watson in Cleveland's quarterback competition. Sanders had a notable guest in attendance, as his father (and coach at Colorado and formerly Jackson State), Deion, was at practice. Deion met with coach Todd Monken and general manager Andrew Berry before practice, and Monken characterized the meeting as "awesome."

          The Browns' offense got off to a slow start, with a disjointed passing game and procedural issues, but Sanders found a rhythm late in practice. After the session, Shedeur and Deion stayed on the practice field and spoke for several minutes.

          General manager Andrew Berry said he is taking a similar approach as last year with a crowded QB room -- open to keeping all four passers on the active roster but willing to strike a deal if one arises: "I don't think that you can necessarily be prescriptive at the beginning of camp because things are going to surprise you in both directions ... we try and maintain as much flexibility as possible."

          More observations from the day:

          • Spencer Fano alternated with Dawand Jones on Thursday and took first-team reps at left tackle. Monken has said he views Fano, the No. 9 pick in the 2026 draft, as a starter but wants him to earn the role in practice.

          • KT Leveston took first-team reps at right guard, one day after Teven Jenkins lined up at the position with the starting unit. The two are competing for a potential starting position.

          • Safety Grant Delpit called new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg's scheme "exotic" and said there is a lot of disguise and communication. Cleveland is keeping the foundation of ex-DC Jim Schwartz's attacking scheme intact, but the disguised looks could be a big differentiator in 2026.

          • Berry does not have a timeline for when rookie tight end Joe Royer (out for personal reasons) will return to practice: "When he does return, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later, we'll get him ramped up quickly and reintegrated in everything."

          • Cornerback Damarri Mathis returned to practice after leaving Wednesday's session early but did not participate in team drills. Defensive tackle Kalia Davis was absent Thursday after leaving Wednesday's practice early.

          Wednesday, July 29

          The Browns opened training camp Wednesday with the continuation of their quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, who coach Todd Monken said will continue to split first-team reps in practice.

          On Day 1, it was Watson who took all the first-team reps, but the veteran passer struggled. On back-to-back throws in 11-on-11 drills, Watson threw passes that were intercepted by cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Damarri Mathis.

          Before practice, Monken did not disclose a timeline for naming a starting quarterback but indicated he plans to play his starters in the preseason, which would make for pivotal evaluation periods in the competition.

          More observations from the day:

          • Veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney visited the Browns on Wednesday, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported. Clowney, 33, had a two-year stint in Cleveland from 2021 to 2022 and recorded 11 sacks.

          • Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. said he missed the offseason workout program because of surgery to address a late-season groin injury but was cleared to play two weeks ago.

          • Fourth-year offensive lineman Dawand Jones lined up at left tackle with the starting unit, while 2026 first-round pick Spencer Fano practiced with the second unit.

          • Mathis and defensive tackle Kalia Davis left practice early with apparent injuries and did not return.

          • Rookie tight end Joe Royer was not at practice because of personal reasons.

          • Ward on his record-breaking extension: "I'm a Cleveland kid through and through and this is where I'm at, and this is where I want to be."