Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders will compete for the starting job.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders will compete for the starting job.
The Cleveland Browns have yet to add any additional arms to the quarterback room, making Shedeur Sanders an early winner of free agency.
The Browns have focused on the offensive line in free agency, bringing in multiple pieces to rebuild the unit. Cleveland was rumored to have interest in top free agent quarterback Malik Willis but never appeared to have a realistic shot. Willis signed with the Miami Dolphins.
At the moment, the Browns appear content to roll with Sanders, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel going into next season. It’s an “open competition,” but Sanders has the most long-term upside for the Browns if he pans out. USA Today’s Nate Davis dubbed Sanders a winner after the first week of free agency.
“Sanders might be the big winner here as the Cleveland Browns did precisely what first-year coach Todd Monken wanted − pouring into their offensive line,” Davis said. “G Teven Jenkins re-signed, OL Tytus Howard arrived via trade and Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins are both on the way to further fortify the interior. And more offensive upgrades are likely coming in the draft, were GM Andrew Berry owns a pair of first-round picks, including Jacksonville’s. It should mean a magnificent opportunity for Sanders to assert himself as QB1 in 2026.”
Shedeur Sanders’ Rookie Year Was a Mixed Bag
Sanders spent the early months of his rookie season buried on the depth chart before emerging as the Browns’ starter for the final seven games after Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion in Week 11.
The results were uneven. Sanders completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in those seven starts. He was also sacked 23 times behind what was one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL.
His 18.8 QBR ranked as the worst single-season mark in Browns franchise history among quarterbacks with at least six starts. The team went 3-4 with him under center.
However, there were flashes. In Week 14 against the Titans, Sanders threw for 364 yards, three touchdowns and added a rushing score — becoming just the second rookie quarterback in NFL history, alongside Joe Burrow, to produce at least 350 passing yards, three touchdown passes and a rushing score in the same game.
Browns See Elite Ability in Shedeur Sanders
He was later named a Pro Bowl replacement, but a nod to the kind of ceiling that has Monken intrigued heading into Year 2.
“I think what you see is elite playmaking ability — that’s in him. You’ve seen it, we’ve seen it. You saw it in college. You saw it on tape last year. Sure, there’s a ways to go, but what rookie isn’t?” Monken said. “I mean, what first-year player doesn’t have a long way to go? So, I’m excited to get started with him and all of our quarterbacks and all of our players.”
Monken was also complimentary of something that doesn’t show up on a stat sheet.
“Shedeur surprised me a little bit in terms of — ‘mobile’ might be [too strong] but he’s got a knack, he’s got a feel,” Monken said. “Like he does in playmaking, he has a real sense in the pocket when it starts to collapse and moving around the pocket, and he made more plays or got himself out of trouble than I would have thought even coming out, which was nice to see.”
Even if the Browns don’t add another quarterback, Sanders will have competition from Deshaun Watson. The former Pro Bowler is heading into the final year of his contract.
Watson missed the entire 2025 season recovering from a pair of Achilles surgeries. In his three seasons with Cleveland, Watson has gone 9-10 as a starter while completing 61 percent of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He hasn’t played a full season since throwing for 4,823 yards with the Houston Texans in 2020.