Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders opens Week 3 still working from behind Deshaun Watson, after head coach Todd Monken chose the veteran to lead the offense to start the 2026 NFL season.
Sanders, whom the Browns took in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, went 3-4 in seven starts last season, throwing for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Cleveland opened 2026 with a 34-10 loss in Jacksonville before Watson answered in Week 2, completing 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns during a 23-19 upset of Tampa Bay that snapped a personal losing streak of more than two years. Monken has said the quarterback plan will not change week to week, and for Sanders, that could mean waiting considerably longer for his next real opportunity under center.
Ken Blaze - IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Even with the depth chart settled for now, the second-year quarterback has kept building his profile away from the field, and this week gave fans another reason to pay attention to what he’s doing off it rather than his snap count.
On Tuesday, the Browns’ backup quarterback partnered with Chase Bank, the East Cleveland City School District and Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT! Program to deliver 500 backpacks filled with school supplies to 500 students, an effort that also brought pizza and ice cream from Pammy’s Ice Cream to Kirk Middle School and Caledonia Elementary School.
The NFLPA took notice of the gesture and named the Browns quarterback its Week 3 Community MVP, pledging a $10,000 donation to the Legendary Impact Foundation in his honor, h/t ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi.
Moments like these explain why Sanders built such a quick connection with Browns fans well before he ever took a professional snap. He even led all NFL rookies in merchandise sales after the 2025 draft.
The Browns host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, September 27, at 1 p.m. ET at Huntington Bank Field, with the game airing on FOX.
Cleveland Browns Essentials
- Every QB Drafted by the Browns
- 5 Best Browns Quarterbacks of All Time
- 5 Best Browns Running Backs of All Time
- 5 Best Browns Wide Receivers of All Time
- NFL’s Richest Owners: Where Does Jimmy Haslam Rank?
