The Uncertain Future of Shedeur Sanders with the Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation has become one of the NFL’s most intriguing storylines this season, with rookie Shedeur Sanders at the center of speculation and debate. Despite expectations of being a first-round talent in the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders unexpectedly slid to the fifth round where the Browns selected him with the 144th overall pick. His journey from draft day disappointment to the Browns’ quarterback room has captivated football fans nationwide, though his path to becoming the team’s franchise quarterback appears increasingly complicated.
Sanders currently sits as the Browns’ backup behind Dillon Gabriel following Joe Flacco’s departure earlier in the season. While Gabriel has managed the offense without catastrophic mistakes – completing 59% of his passes for 869 yards with seven touchdowns against just two interceptions across seven appearances – his conservative play has limited the Browns’ offensive ceiling. His 5.0 yards per attempt ranks as the lowest among all qualified NFL quarterbacks, leading many observers to wonder when Sanders might get his opportunity to showcase the talent that made him such a talked-about prospect coming out of college. The underwhelming nature of Gabriel’s performance, despite decent touchdown-to-interception numbers, has created persistent whispers about a potential quarterback change.
Despite Sanders waiting in the wings, NFL analysts are already looking beyond both current options on the Browns’ roster. USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz recently projected the Browns to select Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. While acknowledging Simpson’s relatively limited college experience, Middlehurst-Schwartz praised the Alabama signal-caller’s NFL-ready attributes: “The 6-2, 208-pound signal-caller continues to look fully ready for the pros thanks to his rare composure and fast processing.” CBS Sports analyst Josh Edwards echoed similar sentiments in his own 2026 mock draft, predicting Cleveland would target Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, boldly stating that Sanders “couldn’t do enough to deter the franchise from drafting a quarterback.”
These projections paint a concerning picture for Sanders’ future with the Browns. If the team invests another high draft pick in the quarterback position before Sanders even receives significant playing time, it would represent an extraordinary lack of confidence in his development. The situation becomes even more perplexing considering Sanders hasn’t yet had meaningful opportunities to prove himself in regular-season action. This uncertain quarterback carousel reflects broader organizational challenges in Cleveland, where finding stability at football’s most important position has been an endless struggle extending back decades before Sanders arrived.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has attempted to diffuse the quarterback controversy by emphasizing collective offensive improvement rather than individual performance. “I understand that a lot of the focus goes to the quarterback position, but I look at it also globally and try to look at ways that we can improve across the board,” Stefanski noted before the team’s matchup with Baltimore. His comments suggest the coaching staff recognizes offensive struggles extend beyond just quarterback play, encompassing scheme design, personnel groupings, and execution across all positions. However, this balanced perspective hasn’t quieted speculation about Sanders’ future role with the team.
For Sanders personally, this situation represents both challenge and opportunity. While draft projections for 2026 might seem premature considering he hasn’t yet made his first NFL start, they underscore the urgency for him to capitalize on whatever playing time he receives this season. If Gabriel continues to struggle or if the Browns fall further out of playoff contention, Sanders could earn his chance to demonstrate he deserves to be the franchise’s long-term solution. However, if he remains on the bench throughout his rookie campaign or struggles when given opportunities, the Browns may indeed look elsewhere in their perpetual search for quarterback stability. The coming weeks and months will be crucial for Sanders to shift these early narratives and establish himself as more than just another chapter in Cleveland’s lengthy quarterback saga.
