It took a while for Shedeur Sanders to finally get his chance, but the rookie quarterback has shown some flashes for the Cleveland Browns late in the 2025 season. His teammates seem to have rallied around him and they have won two of his six starts.
The latest was a surprising victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17. Sanders improved his completion percentage for a second straight game, going 17-of-23 for a career high 73.9 percent, and threw for the only touchdown.
Fellow rookie Dylan Sampson was impressed by the performance, and the running back showed support for Sanders to remain the starting QB.
“He’s shown continued improvement week in and week out. I think he has a natural leadership about him, that he’s continuing to connect with the guys. He puts his all out there on the field. He extends plays, he makes plays. It’s exciting to see our rookie class out there contributing. Obviously, we’re not the ones who make decisions, but I’m going to be pulling for him like I’m pulling for everybody else who I got drafted with,” Sampson said.
#Browns RB Dylan Sampson on what Shedeur Sanders has shown in his six starts: pic.twitter.com/uPFSUbUzL4
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) December 29, 2025
Sanders did throw two interceptions, giving him seven in his past three games, so he clearly has areas he can improve. But he took only two sacks for a loss of just two yards, so he is showing he can correct some of his perceived flaws.
This all puts the Browns in a very interesting position heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. The win against the Steelers pushed them down in the order, and another victory in the season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals could move them even further back.
Cleveland already may be out of the running to land one of the top two QB prospects, Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore. So, depending on where the Browns ultimately wind up, they will have to decide whether to try again at quarterback or add some more weapons to go along with a strong 2025 class that produced Sanders, Sampson, running back Quinshon Judkins and tight end Harold Fannin Jr.
With two first-round picks, adding a top wide receiver and an offensive lineman could do a lot to help Sanders’ development, if the Browns choose to stay the course.
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