Former Player Says Shedeur Sanders’ Number Change Means Something Bigger

Shedeur Sanders is heading into his second NFL season with something to prove and a familiar number on his back to do it. The Cleveland Browns announced recently that Sanders will wear No. 2 in 2026, reclaiming the jersey number he wore throughout high school and college at both Jackson State and Colorado. Wide receiver DeAndre Carter, who held the number last season, is no longer on the roster.

But former Browns cornerback and Cleveland legend Hanford Dixon sees it as more than just a number change.

Speaking on the Top Dawg Show, Dixon offered a read on what the move signals about Sanders’ mindset heading into a critical offseason.

“He went back to his college number. When he was No. 2 in college. He’s still here, he’s in Cleveland, and working out and getting ready. This kid is saying, look I’m getting ready to play, so I wanna go back to my old No. 2,” Dixon said.

Is Shedeur Sanders getting his sauce back?

"He went back to his college number."

– @HanfordDixon29 pic.twitter.com/gLCS73wfAz

— The Top Dawgs Show (@TopDawgShow) April 5, 2026

Sanders wore No. 12 as a rookie because Carter held No. 2, and there were reports last year that Sanders’ camp was not thrilled about it. Sanders himself played it down publicly, saying he did not have a large enough signing bonus to try to buy the number. Now that the path is clear, he took it immediately.

Sanders made the announcement with a simple post that just read “#2.”

The number carries some mixed history in Cleveland. Tim Couch and Johnny Manziel both wore it for the Browns. The most successful player to wear it was Amari Cooper, who produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023. Sanders will be looking to write a better chapter.

What matters more than the number is what happens when the pads go on. Sanders finished his rookie season completing 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and ten interceptions across seven starts. He goes into 2026 in a real competition for the starting job with Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel.

He wants that job. The number change is his way of saying so.