Sanders’ debut wasn’t good, but it gave fans something to look forward to. The problem for Sanders is that the future likely doesn’t run through him. Cleveland invested a late third-round pick in Gabriel and a fifth-round selection in Sanders, after trading for an extra pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
The problem for Sanders’ future is that Cleveland’s timeline and assets do not align for him to prove himself over time. His time is now. Unfortunately, unlike Purdy, Sanders doesn’t have a top-flight offensive line and set of offensive weapons to put him in position to succeed. Like Purdy, Sanders’ best-case scenario is as an elite point guard-style quarterback.
In basketball, point guards need shooters, slashers, and dunkers to turn their passes into points. In football, point guard-style quarterbacks need systems, protection, and playmakers to turn their decisions into yards and points.
The Browns do not have enough of the right qualities to allow Sanders to excel this season. If he is able to, he will have proven that he is not a point guard-style quarterback but a playmaking one who can raise the talent around him.
If he doesn’t, Sanders’ time as Cleveland’s starter will be a short one. In many ways, the Browns are not set up to help the young quarterback be successful. The same has been true for Gabriel, who many believe has proven he is not a starter at this level, but now it is time for Sanders to see if he can do more than his fellow rookie.
Given the talent around him and Stefanski’s statements about Gabriel, this could be Sanders’ only start in Cleveland unless he puts up stats fans haven’t seen since Joe Flacco’s first go-round with the team.
Browns fans and media might be excited for the Shedeur Sanders show, but the future in Cleveland is far more likely to be a different quarterback, including Gabriel next week and a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft. None of that is an indictment of Sanders or his development, just a matter of the current roster, draft assets available, and the limited draft capital spent to acquire him.
As a lifelong fan of the team and someone who believed in Sanders heading into the 2025 NFL draft, I hope I’m wrong and will celebrate if I am.