Cleveland Browns QB Shedeur Sanders came into the NFL with a highly decorated collegiate resume. The former Colorado QB threw for 4,134 passing yards in his senior season in 2024, winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors. However, he has failed to create the same sort of magic in the NFL.
Sanders played in eight games in the 2025 NFL season, recording 1,400 passing yards and also earning a surprise invitation to the 2026 Pro Bowl. However, turnovers remained a big issue for Sanders, which hurt his chances to cement the starting QB role for the Browns.
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With Deshaun Watson returning after missing the 2025 season because of a torn Achilles, the fight for the QB1 role between Watson and Sanders has been intense. Watson took some time to adjust to the pace in the early days of the training camp, but the veteran QB seems to have finally found his groove, and that was clearly evident in the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears.
Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards, helping the Browns score 10 points. Despite the fumble, it was Watson who came out on top, as Sanders recorded 79 passing yards, including a disappointing interception. Todd Monken had announced that Sanders would start the second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills and has stuck to his decision despite the QB’s performance.
Now, it’s down to Sanders to respond to the challenge. However, the former Colorado QB seems totally up for this test. Addressing the media before the Bills game, Sanders said, “I’ll say every day of my life’s important. Every day’s important. I want to say it’s [not] a day that’s not important. So that’s just another day going out there doing what I got to do, honestly.”
“I don’t really feel anxiety or any pressure going into things like that anymore, because that’s how I approach everything. So, it’s just another day of going to work. That’s all it is for me,” he added.
The Browns play the Bills on August 22, and that could very well be Sanders’ last opportunity to strengthen his case or Watson might take an unassailable lead in this quarterback battle.
