Nothing can ever be simple for the Cleveland Browns, which is doubly true for the quarterback position in 2025 and 2026.
Shedeur Sanders is the starter. However, Bill Barnwell of ESPN wrote on Thursday, December 4 that if he plays poorly against the Tennessee Titans, Sanders could find himself back on the bench by Week 15 and potentially out of Cleveland and/or the league sooner than later.
“Is Sanders going to do enough with those snaps to convince the Browns that he should be their long-term quarterback? Probably not, given where he was drafted and how he has played so far,” Barnwell wrote. “Adequately running an NFL offense over the rest of 2025, though, might be the difference between Sanders quickly washing out of the league or getting an extended run as a backup and occasional spot starter.”
Sanders has played just 10 quarters, so Barnwell’s suggestion seems somewhat premature. But the issue hanging over Sanders and the Browns is the two first-round picks Cleveland owns next April. Should Sanders finish the season strongly, it could mean he remains the No. 2 QB in Cleveland and competes with a rookie for the starting job next year.
But it may also mean that his value is high enough for the Browns to trade him for a mid-round draft pick and hang onto Dillon Gabriel as the backup moving forward.
“[Deshaun] Watson will be unmovable while Gabriel and Sanders will be entering their second seasons,” Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports wrote Thursday. “Some league sources have wondered if Cleveland would look to deal one of them come next season. And then there’s the unknown quarterback for Cleveland, someone who is currently playing in college who the Browns can draft using the capital gained from the Travis Hunter trade.”
Shedeur Sanders Must Overcome Physical Shortcomings to Succeed at High Level in NFL
GettyQuarterback Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns.
The market for Sanders should grow if he plays adequately, or better, down the stretch. That starts with this Sunday’s game against the Titans, the league’s worst team by record and among the worst defenses in 2025.
Sanders hasn’t been a world-beater by any means. However, he has protected the football over his last two starts with just one interception.
The biggest issue for Sanders is that he doesn’t have elite tangible traits in terms of arm strength, straight-line speed or quickness. As such, he must develop into an elite processor of the game and play with the kind of foresight and anticipation that has allowed signal-callers like Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers to achieve great success at the NFL level.
It isn’t necessarily fair to expect that so early on in Sanders’ career. That said, he has the type of attitude and charisma to effectively lead a locker room, and a solid outing against Tennessee should guarantee him some runway to develop in the QB1 role through at least the end of this season.
Shedeur Sanders’ Success May Hurt Browns in Long Run
GettyOregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore.
A win against the Titans, while good for Sanders and his trade value next spring, isn’t necessarily ideal for the Browns if drafting a top QB in next year’s class is the ultimate end game.
Were the draft today, Cleveland would select No. 5 overall. However, the Browns are tied with three other teams at a record of 3-9. Assuming a win in Cleveland Sunday and a loss for the other three squads, the Browns would find themselves picking No. 8.
The Jacksonville Jaguars dealt their first-round pick to Cleveland last spring, though they are a playoff team and currently own the No. 26 pick. The Browns profile as a team that may move up into the top three, or thereabouts, to pursue a quarterback like Fernando Mendoza of Indiana or Dante Moore of Oregon.
But it’s unclear if the Nos. 8 and 26 picks would be enough to get that done. Thus, in that scenario, Cleveland might need to include yet another draft asset and bet even bigger on yet another rookie gamble as the potential franchise QB.
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