Shedeur Sanders has now led the Cleveland Browns for multiple games with mixed results. Because of that, his future as a starting quarterback seems very much up in the air.
But even if he isn’t starting for the Browns next season, Sanders could still be with the team. However, while speaking on ESPN Cleveland, Tony Grossi said that shouldn’t be the case.
Grossi stated that his stature would hinder him as a backup player. Plus, Sanders’ fans would always be upset about him only being a backup, which would further complicate matters.
“I don’t think he has the right makeup to be a backup quarterback,” Grossi said.
"I don't think he has the right makeup to be a backup quarterback," – @TonyGrossi thinks the Browns should only keep Shedeur Sanders if he's the starter.
Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/ph0m6RrSCI
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) December 17, 2025
There have been many rumblings of Cleveland looking at a quarterback in the draft, which would obviously have a huge impact on Sanders. The chances of him being the starter next year aren’t non-existent, but they would be much lower if the team gets a rookie QB.
And of course, the return of Deshaun Watson would complicate Sanders’ desire to remain the starting quarterback for Cleveland. In short, nothing is guaranteed for Sanders, and his road ahead seems murky.
His best shot is to play well over the next few weeks and assure the Browns that they’d be smart to keep him in his role. But even if he does very well for the remainder of the season, there is still no certainty about what the front office will do.
If they choose to place him as a backup QB, Grossi believes the Browns might be smarter to trade him to another team and move on from him entirely.
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