Shedeur Sanders reached a significant new standard in Week 16 for the Cleveland Browns. Facing the Buffalo Bills, the rookie quarterback completed 69.0 percent of his pass attempts, a record for his five NFL starts.
However, he also threw two interceptions, giving him five in his past two games. The up-and-down nature of his performances so far has people questioning whether he can ever establish himself as Cleveland’s QB of the future.
After the loss to the Bills, CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco revealed a discouraging outlook for Sanders.
“The bottom line is, when you look at Shedeur Sanders, you just don’t see franchise quarterback. You see a guy who’s better than Dillon Gabriel, that’s for sure, but I just don’t see franchise quarterback. They’ve got two first-round picks. I think they’re gonna go make a move to go get [a quarterback],” Prisco said.
Should the Browns invest in Shedeur Sanders beyond this year or draft a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Here's what @PriscoCBS and @rancarthon tell @_HaileySutton. pic.twitter.com/GAZoKaELXl
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 22, 2025
After winning Sanders’ first start, the Browns have lost four games in a row. That streak has moved them up the board for the 2026 NFL Draft, and they could be in line for a top-two pick.
In addition to its own selection, Cleveland also has the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick. That could give the Browns the capital they might need to trade up to get the quarterback they desire.
In Week 17, the Browns can move up on their own with a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Tankathon. That’s because the current top-two teams, the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, play each other, meaning the winner will fall back in the order, pending other results.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is seen as the likely No. 1 overall pick. Oregon QB Dante Moore could also be in consideration for a high selection if he declares for the draft.
Yet, after spending a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Sanders, two rounds after selecting Gabriel, the Browns could give him more time to prove himself, based on how the rest of this season goes.
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