Skip Bayless is not exactly known for handing out compliments to Cleveland, which is exactly what makes his latest take interesting.
Appearing on The Arena, Bayless went out of his way to praise the direction of the Browns organization and made a statement about who he believes the players in that locker room actually want under center in 2026.
“Cleveland has had back-to-back, what I would call, A+ drafts. Cleveland did a lot of good things in free agency to completely tear down and rebuild the offensive line. Because of that, I want Shedeur. He earned the right to benefit from this growth. If you did a silent vote in the locker room, a secret vote, they would vote for Shedeur,” Bayless said.
Start with the organizational praise. Bayless calling back-to-back drafts A+ grades is surprising. The Browns have used their draft capital aggressively over the past two cycles, adding weapons on the outside and addressing the offensive line in a way that has genuinely changed the look of this roster. Spencer Fano headlining a rebuilt front five gives whoever is under center a chance to actually operate, which has not always been the case in Cleveland.
Shedeur Sanders dealt with one of the worst offensive lines in football during his rookie season and still managed to show enough to earn real confidence from people around the league. If the protection is fixed and the weapons are in place, the argument for giving him the keys becomes much harder to dismiss.
The locker room angle is the part that should resonate most with Browns fans. Players know. They see the preparation, the leadership, and the intangibles every single day in practice in a way that no outside analyst ever can. If Bayless is right that a secret vote would go in Sanders’ favor, that tells you something important about how his teammates view him and what kind of presence he has built in that building.
The quarterback competition is still ongoing, and many reports are saying Watson is in the lead. But Bayless is adding his voice to a growing chorus that believes Sanders has earned the right to be the guy.
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