Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders faces renewed uncertainty about his starting status after reports surfaced that the team is interested in free-agent quarterback Malik Willis.
SportsBoom’s Jason LaCanfora reported the Browns have shown interest in Willis, who has been with the Green Bay Packers for the last two seasons. Willis emerged as a top free-agent prospect after a two-game performance replacing injured starter Jordan Love.
“One general manager, whose team will be in the quarterback market at least to some degree, pointed to Cleveland and Miami as the teams to beat, and another general manager, less inclined to be seeking a new QB, identified that contract Justin Fields signed with the Jets a year ago as a likely template for what Willis can likely land on the open market,” LaCanfora said.
One of the unnamed general managers backed up LaCanfora’s assertions. “I hear the same thing you do, about Miami and Cleveland. It’s going to be close to the Fields deal. You’re looking at two years, $40 million; $30 million guaranteed. I think he’s better than Fields, by the way. I think he’ll be a better starter.”
Sanders, who the Browns selected in the fifth round last year, appeared in eight games, starting in seven of them. He completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was named a Pro Bowl alternate.
The Browns already have three quarterbacks on their roster: Sanders, 2025 third-round pick Dillon Gabriel and veteran Deshaun Watson, who missed the entire season recovering from an Achilles injury. New Browns head coach Todd Monken was reportedly “intrigued” about the possibility of Watson as the starter and what he could do in his system.
Despite his reported interest in Watson, Monken wanted the Ravens to draft Sanders last year when he was the team’s offensive coordinator. He made sure to remind Sanders of that when the two met after Monken accepted the Browns job.