The Cleveland Browns went into last offseason with a major question mark at the quarterback position, and now, after another disappointing campaign, that same question remains, even though there are different faces in the building. Rookie fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders showed plenty of promise during his seven starts to close out the season, but it’s still up in the air what the future holds for him.
Sanders’ ability to extend plays and push the ball down the field helped open the offense up, but he still threw ten interceptions and struggled to avoid sacks and fumbles during his seven starts. Granted, he showed enough to at least be considered for the starting role in 2026, and one analyst recently shared what chance he believes that will happen.
During a recent episode of The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, Adam Gerstenhaber was asked what percentage chance Sanders is the Week 1 starter in 2026. He put the odds at 50/50.
“It appears they’re going to keep (Deshaun) Watson on this roster. I assume they’ll keep Shedeur. I think Dillon Gabriel is gone. You have to bring in at least one new quarterback. I would say Shedeur right now has a 50 percent chance to be the starter.”
Gerstenhaber believes Gabriel will be gone because the team needs to bring in a new quarterback, which is also typical of a new coach, and it’s less likely the Browns will decide to move either Sanders or Watson. Whether the third quarterback comes via the draft or free agency, it’s hard to believe the Browns will be able to find the cap space to bring in a big name at QB, especially considering Watson’s $80 million cap hit.
The Watson situation is interesting, as it seems like the Browns are just kicking that decision down the road as long as they can. He is essentially healthy now and is going to want to start, but one has to wonder if it makes any sense for this franchise long-term to have him ever take the field again.
Hopefully, the offseason will provide some more clarity on this front. A new coach will be the first domino to fall, and it will be interesting to see what that coach wants to do with the QB position.
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