It’s clear that since the Cleveland Browns selected Shedeur Sanders in the last NFL Draft, everything has revolved around the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback. Sanders, who was projected to be a first-round pick, second only to Cam Ward, ended up falling all the way to the fifth round, where the Browns selected him with the 144th overall pick.
Five quarterbacks were taken before Shedeur Sanders, who expected to arrive in the NFL as a star. Everything seemed set; however, falling so far in the Draft meant a difficult road for the quarterback in the league. He began as the team’s fourth option and didn’t become a starter until Week 11, when he made his debut with a win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Shedeur Sanders wasn’t seriously considered until Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion in Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens. At that point, it became clear that Kevin Stefanski had never planned to give him first-team reps. Gradually, Sanders improved, and in seven starts, he showed explosive plays, but there are still more questions than answers surrounding Deion Sanders’ son.
The Cleveland Browns may not be fully committed to Shedeur Sanders
Instability at the quarterback position has been a major issue for the Cleveland Browns, leading to the firing of Kevin Stefanski, who immediately became the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Currently, the Browns have Deshaun Watson, who is returning from a double Achilles tendon injury, along with Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, both entering their second year.
After seven starts, some believe Shedeur Sanders will be the Browns’ starting quarterback, but NFL insider Dianna Russini isn’t convinced: “Quarterback is going to be the biggest part of this because that’s the area where they are in risk mode, because they don’t really have anything set just yet. They’re probably going to have to go get one. I don’t believe that this organization is all-in on Shedeur. We’ll see what Todd Monken has in store for the Cleveland Browns because it’s not an easy job.”
.@DMRussini says quarterback is the Browns’ biggest question mark following the head coaching change, noting Cleveland is in “risk mode,” and is not all-in on Shedeur Sanders, as Todd Monken takes over.
"Quarterback is going to be the biggest part of this because that's the area… pic.twitter.com/T6tcq62IBF
— BrownsNation.com (@BrownsNationcom) January 29, 2026
In those seven starts, Sanders posted a 3-4 record, with seven touchdown passes, 1,400 passing yards, and 10 interceptions. It’s difficult to truly evaluate his productivity since he didn’t practice with the first team until he was named the starter.
Additionally, during those seven games, Sanders faced very tough opponents, including the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, and Cincinnati Bengals. Four of those five teams made the playoffs. As a result, it’s still unclear what Sanders’ true level is with consistent day-to-day work, but only the new head coach, Todd Monken, will have the answer.
