The bulk of the NFL’s free agency period has come and gone, and the Cleveland Browns unsurprisingly didn’t participate in this year’s game of quarterback musical chairs. There were some rumors that Cleveland would make a sneaky move for someone like Malik Willis, Mac Jones, or Kirk Cousins, but the Browns stood pat and are now projected to start Shedeur Sanders in Week 1 of the 2026 season unless something drastic happens in the draft.
With the sixth and 24th picks in the first round, the possibility of the front office bringing in some competition for Sanders is very real, so he certainly can’t rest on his laurels. Deshaun Watson is still in town as well and will be breathing down his neck, so this is a pivotal offseason for the young QB in his quest to solidify himself as a franchise QB.
ESPN Cleveland shared a video of Sanders getting some work in recently. The video shows him working out back in Colorado and putting up a few reps on the bench.
“Shedeur Sanders putting in work,” ESPN Cleveland wrote.
Shedeur Sanders putting in work 🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/sBJiyLcmjC
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) March 27, 2026
Analysts have recently begun exploring what exactly new head coach Todd Monken could be looking for in his new quarterback. He has also made it clear that he isn’t committing to Sanders just yet and will encourage competition, so what exactly that means for Sanders is to be determined.
The name most commonly linked to the Browns in the draft is consensus QB2 Ty Simpson, though the sixth and 24th spots may not align with the possibility of selecting him. His stock sounds like it’s rising, so if the Browns believe he’s the guy, they may have to move up from 24 to somewhere in the 10 to 15 range unless they want to shock the world and take him sixth.
A new coach in the NFL often means a new quarterback comes with them. Sanders has a lot going against him, but hopefully he stays in the gym and doesn’t take anything for granted, because a golden opportunity is right in front of him.
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