The Shedeur Sanders project for the Cleveland Browns doesn’t seem to be going according to plan. The Browns don’t appear to have Sanders in their immediate plans for this season—or even the next. Currently, he’s serving as an emergency insurance quarterback, and during training camp, he was sometimes throwing to staff members instead of players.
“Shedeur Sanders apparently is throwing not to receivers but to equipment guys. They have got equipment guys snapping him the ball and then also running the routes. Mahomes is throwing to Kelce, Shedeur is throwing to equipment guys,” ESPN’s Aaron Goldhammer said.
Even though Sanders isn’t yet making an impact on the field in Cleveland, he’s making a difference in the community—something many rookies don’t do this early in their careers.
“I’ll be honest with you, I’ve never seen what Shedeur Sanders is doing this early on in a player’s career,” Cecil Shorts said on Cleveland’s 92.3 The Fan. “I’ve never seen that before, I’ve never seen a rookie come into the league and before he even played a snap is already in the Garden Valley Projects … All the things he’s doing (in the community). It’s a special thing he’s doing, that’s not normal.”
The Browns could eventually decide to move on from Sanders, and if they do, one trade prediction sends him to the San Francisco 49ers.
“Like the Rams, the San Francisco 49ers will also be hoping to establish themselves as a top contender this season. Last year, they took a huge step back after a Super Bowl run in 2023, going just 6-11. Their largest issue wasn't quarterback Brock Purdy. In fact, he actually led a decent offense despite the inconsistency and injuries surrounding him on the depth chart. However, San Francisco may have already hit its ceiling with Purdy at the helm. Putting Shedeur Sanders into Kyle Shanahan's system could significantly raise the team's potential and keep them in the NFL's upper echelon for years to come,” SI’s Andy Quach wrote.
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The 49ers could offer more development opportunities for Sanders—especially if they can stay healthy. It’s possible that Purdy has maxed out his potential, while Sanders is still in the early stages of learning. He’s simply looking for an opportunity—and in San Francisco, there could very well be plenty of it.