It would be hard to find an NFL player who inspires more knee-jerk reactions than Shedeur Sanders. Some people believe he is destined to be the Cleveland Browns’ franchise quarterback, while others believe he can’t be out of the league soon enough.
What makes it even more interesting is that each side of the argument has merit. While Sanders showed some ability as a rookie and seems to have won over his teammates, his numbers reveal that he had one of the worst seasons in recent history.
Former NFL scout Daniel Kelly belongs to the latter camp, and he is urging the Browns to move on from the young QB at the first chance they get.
“NFL teams need to move on from these 10 quarterbacks as fast as humanly possible (ASAP): 2. Shedeur Sanders,” Kelly posted on X.
NFL teams need to move on from these 10 quarterbacks as fast as humanly possible (ASAP):
1. Caleb Williams
2. Shedeur Sanders
3. Trevor Lawrence
4. J.J. McCarthy
5. Anthony Richardson
6. (Space reserved for Fernando Mendoza)
7. Will Levis
8. Jaxson Dart
9. Kenny Pickett…— FIRST ROUND MOCK (@firstroundmock) March 13, 2026
It should be noted that the only quarterback ahead of Sanders on Kelly’s list is Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears, a No. 1 overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft who just helped them win the NFC North for the first time in seven seasons and win a playoff game for the first time since the 2010 campaign.
Sanders is one spot ahead of another No. 1 overall pick, Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars. They are followed by more reasonable names such as J.J. McCarthy, Anthony Richardson, Will Levis, former Browns QB Kenny Pickett, and Sam Howell, with Trey Lance and Zach Wilson also mentioned.
No matter what you might think of Sanders, he has arguably generated more positive results and shown more potential than a lot of those quarterbacks. Whether he ever becomes a truly viable starter in the league has yet to be determined, but the Browns giving up on him after just seven NFL starts, with no real replacement on hand, would seem to be a bad idea, at least at this moment in time.
Perhaps if he continues to be a distraction with his fan-fueled presence off the field, and in more playing time shows that he just can’t live up to the demands of the NFL, so be it, but dumping him right now to move forward with only Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel makes little sense.
NEXT: Shedeur Sanders Sends Message About Critics
