BEREA ― The result on the practice field for Day 11 of Browns training camp certainly mattered. However, the story of Aug. 10 for the team was the decisions made in preparation for the preseason opener coming at the end of the week.
The quarterback competition, however, was not one of them. The competition between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson will keep on going, as coach Todd Monken still hasn’t settled on a starting quarterback for the Aug. 15 game at the Chicago Bears.
Monken said last week this would be a moment of deliniation in the Browns’ progression toward the regular season. Turns out, the only two changes officially announced were Spencer Fano is the No. 1 left tackle and Denzel Boston is getting more reps with the No. 1 wide receiver group.
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This time, there were no post-interview practice reps shenanigans with the quarterbacks. Sanders did, in fact, take all of the No. 1 reps this time, while Watson worked with the No. 2s.
Let’s dive into the takeaways from Day 11 of Browns training camp.
Time to calm down on the QB hysterics for now
The roughly 48 hours from Saturday’s practice okey-doke with the quarterbacks’ practice reps until Sanders actually went out with the No. 1 offense at the start of practice Monday might as well have been the apocalypse with the way it went on social media and sports talk radio. The takes and the rage was running high, from outraged Sanders defenders to trolling Watson defenders to those who would like to know what it’s like to root for a football team that conducts “normal” quarterback competition.
Monken clarified why there was a change in who took all of the No. 1 reps Saturday in the 45 minutes between the time he spoke and when practice started. It’s clear, also, that he really doesn’t care if you like the explanation or not.
The one thing Monken said about the competition today was that it wasn’t close to being over. That’s pretty much what everyone expected at the start of camp, and how it’s basically played out over 11 practices.
That means all of the shouting and takes coming from both sides of the arguments will just keep on for a while. Or, in essence, a typical August in Cleveland, Ohio.
Shedeur Sanders solid, offense as a whole sloppy indoors
Sanders got all of the No. 1 reps that everyone thought he was going to the previous practice today. The onus of the day seemed to be to work on a lot of quick throws, although he did throw a few deep shots inside the Browns’ field house that were nice throws down the field.
The reality was, though, neither offense was crisp. Sanders’ group was slightly less sloppy on the whole, but both finished with little for their efforts when the practice shifted to an end-of-the-half situation in which the offense had to march 54 yards in about 1:10 remaining.
Both of those drives, one by the ones and one by the twos, ended with false start penalties. The final one led Monken to throw his radio in disgust.
And so the competition marches on to Day 12.
Spencer Fano earns his stripes and No. 1 LT spot
The old Kenny Rogers song “Coward of the County” ends with the line, “Sometimes you gotta fight to be a man.” Rookie Spencer Fano may or may not be a fan of The Gambler, but he took those words to heart when he squared off with defensive end Jared Verse during Saturday’s practice.
Fano showed in the moment he wasn’t going to back down from the two-time Pro Bowler. It was the flashpoint for what was his best day of practice.
That moment and that practice apparently ended all talk about someone other than the No. 9 overall pick being at left tackle. Monken made it clear when he talked Monday.
“Don’t you want to see a player, especially on the O-line, not back down?” Monken said. “As your starting left tackle, all your hopes and dreams, the ability to move the football and protect, your left tackle to not back down against a Pro Bowler? Of course. That builds a little bit. It’s just one day. Hell, we’ll be indoors today, [so] it will be a fast track. You want to see the competition part; you want to see a guy not back down. If they don’t stand up for themselves, then you’re really concerned.”
Carson Schwesinger’s absence is opening for Easton Mascarenas-Arnold
The Browns have paced themselves in bringing back linebacker Carson Schwesinger from the injury that has sidelined him since Aug. 1. It’s not ideal for a defense to lose out on having the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year on the field, except if it creates opportunity.
That opportunity has gone primarily to Easton Mascarenas-Arnold. The second-year pro played 276 career snaps, 262 of those on special teams, as an undrafted rookie in 2025.
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Mascarenas-Arnold has grabbed the chance in front of him to earn the No. 3 linebacker spot after Schwesinger and Quincy Williams. Currently, he’s consistently running next to Williams when the Browns only have two linebackers on the field.
These next three weeks will be huge for the USC product to finally earn some consistent defensive run once the regular season arrives and Schwesinger returns from the minor issue that’s plaguing him.
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at https://profile.beaconjournal.com/newsletters/browns-insider/
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 4 takeaways from Day 11 of Browns training camp starts (again) with QB battle
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
