The Cleveland Browns closed their 2025 season at 5-12, missing the playoffs for the second straight year. Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders gave fans some hope late in the year, steering a 10-play drive in the final minute to set up Andre Szmyt’s walk-off 49-yard field goal in a 20-18 Week 18 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Still, 10 interceptions across seven starts left real questions about his readiness to lead the franchise long-term.
Now, with the NFL Combine underway and the Indianapolis Colts granting Anthony Richardson permission to seek a trade, one local voice has made a bold call on where the Browns should stand.
Anthony Alandt Chooses Shedeur Sanders Over Anthony Richardson
Anthony Alandt, co-host of Overtime on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, made his position clear recently. He would rather the Browns build around their rookie quarterback than pursue a trade for Indianapolis Colts signal-caller Anthony Richardson.
“If you’re going based off of a guy that I believe is going to be hungry to get himself to the level of being a franchise QB that isn’t one right now, I would 100 percent take Shedeur Sanders over Anthony Richardson,” Alandtsaid.
Cleveland Radio Host Picks Shedeur Sanders Over Colts' Anthony Richardson in Browns QB Debate
Cleveland Radio Host Picks Shedeur Sanders Over Colts’ Anthony Richardson in Browns QB Debate (Credit: Sam Greene-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images)
His argument centers on hunger and development. Sanders, a fifth-round pick (144th overall) in the 2025 draft, posted a 3-4 record in seven starts with 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He showed flashes, but his 18.9 QBR was the lowest among all qualifying passers in the league.
Richardson, taken fourth overall in 2023, went 8-7 across 15 starts in his first two seasons. Hethrew 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions, and his 47.7% completion rate in 2024 was the lowest among all qualifying quarterbacks that year.
He played just five snaps in 2025 after fracturing his orbital bone in a pregame warmup accident. He is just 23 years old and carries a $10.8 million cap hit in 2026. The Colts gave him permission to seek a trade on February 26.
New head coach Todd Monken, hired after directing Baltimore’s offense to the NFL’s top unit in 2024 and guiding Lamar Jackson to the MVP award in 2023, hasdeclared the quarterback job an open competition. Any quarterback in the Browns’ position group will need to compete and earn the starting job. Deshaun Watson, who missed all of 2025 rehabbing a torn Achilles, is also expected to be part of that competition.
The Browns hold nine draft picks this April, including selections 6 and 24 in the first round. Their choice at quarterback will directly shape how they use those picks, how they approach free agency, and what kind of offense Todd Monken builds in year one.