Cleveland's quarterback call is finally here, and Todd Monken has to live with it
The Cleveland Browns will name their Week 1 starting quarterback Monday, ending one of the messiest and most-watched QB battles of the preseason. Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson - one answer, no do-overs.
In brief
Cleveland's quarterback call is finally here, and Todd Monken has to live with it
Monday is the day. After two months of training camp reps, joint practices with the Bills, and a preseason schedule that produced more heat than clarity, Browns head coach Todd Monken will name his Week 1 starting quarterback. CBS Sports confirmed Sunday that Sanders will learn Monday if he or Deshaun Watson will start at quarterback for the Browns, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. It is a genuinely consequential football decision - one that will shape Cleveland's entire 2026 season and, depending on who gets the call, could blow up the franchise's long-term rebuilding plan before Labor Day weekend.
The competition has not been clean. Neither quarterback has separated himself cleanly. The two signal-callers have alternated starting reps so far this preseason, with Watson starting the first half of Cleveland's preseason opener while Sanders started in Saturday's 31-7 preseason loss to Buffalo. That score should scare nobody who follows the Browns closely - Cleveland's starters were mostly parked on the sideline - but the individual numbers told a story.
The 24-year-old Sanders outplayed Watson during the second exhibition, going 9-for-11 passing for 74 yards, one touchdown and one interception, but neither quarterback has obviously pulled away in the competition this preseason. Specifically, Sanders opened the game with eight consecutive completions and directed Cleveland's only scoring drive despite playing without most of the Browns' established starters.
Watson, meanwhile, had a rougher afternoon and heard it from the crowd. Sanders publicly defended Watson after the home crowd reacted negatively during Saturday's loss to the Bills. Although Sanders is in a competitive race for the starting quarterback position, he made it clear to reporters that he did not approve of fans booing Watson. That is a notable moment. The rookie, fighting for Watson's job, went out of his way to shield him. Whatever Monken decides Monday, the locker room dynamic between the two players seems far less toxic than the outside noise.
Word on the team's Week 1 starter is on track to arrive Monday via Monken, while both Sanders and Watson are not slated to play in Thursday's preseason finale against New England. The plan is to use that final exhibition as a dress rehearsal for whoever gets the nod - a chance for the starter to run a full game-prep week with the first team before the regular season opens.
What's actually at stake
This is not a typical depth chart fight. Watson carries a fully guaranteed contract that has cost Cleveland hundreds of millions of dollars even as he has struggled with injuries and inconsistent play in recent seasons. While Watson's fully guaranteed contract and extensive experience initially made him the favorite to start the season, Sanders' composed performances and sharp execution have turned this into one of the most closely contested battles in the league.
For Sanders, it's equally loaded. The Colorado product was taken in last year's draft and has waited his turn. His social media presence after Saturday's game was precise: Sanders shared several photos from the 31-7 preseason loss to the Bills, captioning the post simply, "$²." No lengthy statement. No lobbying. Two characters, and anyone paying attention knew what they meant.
Whether Sanders or Watson is named the Week 1 starter, they will likely be on a short leash throughout the 2026 campaign. That is the uncomfortable reality inside Berea. Monken is a first-year head coach in Cleveland who inherited this situation. He did not create the Watson contract. He did not draft Sanders. He has, however, spent the summer managing both quarterbacks carefully enough that both men still believe they can win the job - which is either excellent roster management or a sign that the decision genuinely wasn't obvious.
League analysts have started to weigh in. ESPN analyst Jeremy Fowler described the situation as "essentially over," opening up about the Browns' stance on Watson and Sanders as Monken weighs the QB1 decision. Watson reportedly held the lead in the competition from late April through last Thursday's joint practice with the Bills. But late April was a long time ago. Camp performance has a way of reshuffling things.
The broader preseason picture
The Browns' QB situation was the loudest story out of Sunday's final wave of NFL preseason news, but it wasn't the only thing happening around the league. In Las Vegas, the Raiders got a scare of a different kind. Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty was helped off the practice field Sunday without putting any weight on his right leg. The second-year rusher had been having a strong practice when he landed awkwardly diving for a catch thrown by Kirk Cousins during 11-on-11 drills.
The entire Raiders team took a knee and said a prayer. That detail says a lot about how serious the scene looked in real time. The relief came hours later. Jeanty is believed to have sprained his ankle, per sources who spoke to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport. The Raiders are still unsure how long he will be out, but it is not considered a long-term injury.
First-year head coach Klint Kubiak is expected to make Jeanty the centerpiece of the offense this season alongside tight end Brock Bowers. In 17 games as a rookie last year, Jeanty finished with 1,321 yards from scrimmage - 975 rushing, 346 receiving on 55 catches - with 10 total touchdowns. Losing him for any stretch of September would significantly alter Las Vegas's offensive identity heading into Week 1 against Miami. That Raiders-Dolphins opener is three weeks from Sunday.
The two stories - Cleveland's quarterback call and Las Vegas's running back health - together capture the specific anxiety that hangs over every NFL team right now. One week from roster cutdowns, franchises are making decisions that will either look shrewd or deeply wrong by mid-October. Monken's answer Monday puts Cleveland on one of those two tracks.
Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken was not ready to name a starting quarterback immediately after Saturday's game. The competition had continued all summer, with Sanders getting the preseason start against Buffalo and Watson hearing boos from fans. The silence since Saturday has only intensified the anticipation. When Monken speaks Monday in Berea, Ohio, every word will be parsed.
Sanders has spent the weekend posting weights on social media. Watson has said nothing public. Somewhere in the Browns' facility, Monken has already made up his mind - and the rest of Cleveland is just waiting for him to say it out loud.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
