Shedeur Sanders will be the Cleveland Browns‘ starting quarterback moving forward this season, but his long-term outlook with the team is still shaky.
Sanders made his first start on Sunday, completing 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown and an interception. Most importantly, the Browns picked up a 24-10 victory, moving the team to 3-8 this season.
On Monday, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski named Sanders the starter moving forward. The decision came with Dillon Gabriel — the former starter — clearing concussion protocol.
“Shedeur (Sanders) will start this week. Obviously, you know, the number one job of a quarterback is to win. So excited to get that first win under his belt and then next thing is improvement,” Stefanski said. “And that’s what young players do. Certainly, young quarterbacks do. You get one game better and that’s just from working at it. So that’ll be our focus.”
NFL insider Albert Breer of The MMQB backed Sanders getting the start this week but still doesn’t see him as Cleveland’s long-term answer under center.
“I don’t believe the Browns’ starting quarterback for 2026 is on their roster,” Breer said.
Browns Need More Information on Shedeur Sanders
Having both Gabriel and Sanders see the field this season wasn’t by chance. It was a mandate from team owner Jimmy Haslam, who wanted a complete evaluation of both young quarterbacks before the Browns make any long-term commitments.
Cleveland owns two first-round picks in next year’s draft, giving the franchise its cleanest path in years to finally land the long-term quarterback it has been chasing for more than two decades. Sanders became the Browns’ 42nd starting quarterback since 1999 when he took the field on Sunday.
Gabriel has already had his opportunity. He started six games and Cleveland went 1-5 in those appearances, with Gabriel struggling to show anything that resembled a long-term answer. The Browns still need a fuller picture of what they have in Sanders, who once carried first-round buzz before sliding to the fifth round. But despite Sanders’ pedigree and upside, Breer doesn’t believe the rookie is the quarterback Cleveland will ultimately bet its future on.
“This morning, the Browns know a little more than they did a couple of days ago. But they still have a far less complete picture of what they have in Sanders than they do with Dillon Gabriel, who’s already started six games,” Breer said. “So if I were them, now that I have a better idea of what it looks like for the other 10 guys in the huddle with Sanders out there, I’d be intrigued enough to want to see more.
“Maybe it’ll last just another week. Maybe it’ll go for another six. Either way, the idea that Sanders will be the Browns’ starter in 2026 remains a longshot.”
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders: ‘A lot of People Want to See Me Fail’
Sanders worked for his shot, but he also benefited from a few breaks that opened the door for him to get on the field when he did. Now that he’s earned the starting job, he doesn’t intend to give it up anytime soon.
“A lot of people want to see me fail and that ain’t going to happen,” Sanders said after beating the Raiders. “That ain’t going to happen.”
Sanders admitted that his debut start wasn’t perfect. But he pointed to having more preparation as the key.
“I think I showed a couple of great pieces, and there’s some things I wish I could get back,” Sanders said. “But man, a win is crazy. It’s amazing. You know? Off of one week of practice. This is one week of practice! So imagine what a full offseason look like! It get dangerous!”
Sanders’ next test comes Sunday, when the Browns host the San Francisco 49ers in front of a home crowd in Cleveland.
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