The Cleveland Browns have had a quarterback issue for years now as they have cycled through numerous options. Deshaun Watson was supposed to be the answer for the Browns after they landed him in a blockbuster trade, but he has been arguably the most disastrous transaction in NFL history.
With Watson’s massive cap hold on the books, it has hamstrung Cleveland’s efforts to find a viable replacement. The draft is the most cost-effective avenue toward adding talent, with someone like Shedeur Sanders offering some legitimate upside at the position.
Sanders slid all the way down to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after reports that he could go in the first round, so Cleveland happily gambled on him. While Sanders sat behind Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel to begin the 2025 NFL season, he eventually got his chance to start near the end of the regular season.
Touted for his deep ball accuracy and fearlessness in the pocket, Sanders showed why he was a highly-touted prospect out of Colorado. Sanders gave fans something to cheer about whenever he launched the football downfield, but ultimately he struggled with some of the finer points of quarterbacking an NFL offense.
With the 2026 NFL season on the horizon, analysts like Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports questioned whether or not Cleveland should stick with Sanders as their starter or look for a more proven option this offseason.
“Is Shedeur Sanders their franchise QB, or will they look elsewhere?” Vacchiano wrote. “The polarization around Sanders last season was fascinating to watch. Most either really hated him or really, really loved him. But here’s the truth: He played like a lot of other rookie quarterbacks — that is, he showed some potential and lots of things he needs to fix. So, will new coach Todd Monken give Sanders a full season to seek an upgrade this offseason? Cleveland has internal alternatives — Dillon Gabriel and whatever’s left of Deshaun Watson. The Browns could also sign a free agent. But they need to settle on one strategy and not treat their quarterbacks like interchangeable yo-yos,” Vacchiano wrote.
As Vacchiano noted, Sanders definitely looked the part of a rookie with ups and downs that should have been expected. However, new head coach Todd Monken won’t be incentivized to keep Sanders in the role if another option presents itself in free agency, the trade market, or the draft.
Monken was brought in to revamp the Browns’ offense, and to do that he’ll need a true starting quarterback to lead the way.
It remains to be seen if Sanders fits the bill, though.
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