The Cleveland Browns finished the 2025 season 5-12, but rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders stepped in as starter for the final seven games and gave fans something worth watching. He went 3-4 in those starts, including back-to-back wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers (13-6) and Cincinnati Bengals (20-18) to close out the year. He threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and ten interceptions across those outings. The turnovers were a concern, but the potential was clear.
Now, with new head coach Todd Monken taking over, one prominent NFL analyst is being straight about what Sanders still needs to prove.
Chris Broussard Keeps It Real on Shedeur Sanders’ Browns QB1 Hopes Under Todd Monken
Fox Sports analyst Chris Broussard, one of Sanders’ most vocal supporters since his surprising fifth-round slide in the 2025 draft, offered a grounded take on Tuesday’s “First Things First.” Despite calling himself “the Shedeur guy,” Broussard made clear that backing Sanders does not mean handing him the job.
“As much as I like him, he has not earned the right at this point to feel any way other than ‘I got to compete,'” Broussardsaid.
NFL Analyst Breaks Down Shedeur Sanders's 2026 Browns Outlook
NFL Analyst Breaks Down Shedeur Sanders’s 2026 Browns Outlook (Credit: Imagn Image)
The competition figures to be real. Deshaun Watson remains on the roster, recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in October 2024. Second-year quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who went 1-5 in six starts before a concussion opened the door for Sanders, is another option in the room. However, current reports place Gabriel third on the depth chart, behind both Sanders and Watson.
Cleveland also holds the No. 6 and No. 24 picks in the upcoming draft, leaving the door open for the Browns to add another quarterback.
Broussard believes Monken, who spent three seasons as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator before taking the Cleveland job, will give Sanders a fairer evaluation than Stefanski did. Notably, Monken also previously worked with the Browns as offensive coordinator in 2019, so he knows the building well.
At the NFL Scouting Combine this week, Monkenpraised Sanders’ playmaking ability and said he is looking forward to working with him. Browns GMAndrew Berry, however, confirmed the quarterback spot is an open competition and stressed that ball protection must improve.
Broussard’s message to Sanders is simple: come in hungry, put in the offseason work, and earn the starting job through training camp and preseason.
But whether that hunger is enough to win the starting role remains an open question, and Monken is not handing anything to anyone.
The Browns face the Baltimore Ravens early in the 2026 season, a quick reminder of how competitive the AFC North remains. For Sanders, the offseason work starts now, and so does the pressure to prove he is Cleveland’s answer at quarterback.