Shedeur Sanders will be entering his second season in the NFL. The 24-year-old will be competing for the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback position against seven-year veteran Deshaun Watson.
The 30-year-old QB missed the entire 2025 season after re-rupturing his right Achilles tendon. Meanwhile, Sanders started as a backup last year. He made his debut in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens.
The 144th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft finished with 120 completions for 1,400 passing yards and seven touchdowns. Sanders also earned a Pro Bowl call-up despite only playing eight games.
Entering this offseason’s training camp, Sanders and Watson are in a tight race for Cleveland's QB1 spot.
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The Athletic recently surveyed coaches and executives around the league. Both Sanders and Watson were ranked as Tier 4 quarterbacks. An unnamed defensive coordinator bluntly criticized Sanders.
“I’d sleep like a baby if I got to play him every week,” said the defensive coordinator.
“He’s not an on-time player, can’t really read through the coverages, is a little bit heavy-footed,” another coordinator said. “He is thicker and harder to tackle than expected, but you shouldn’t lose to him.”
An NFL executive also shared his thoughts about the Browns’ young quarterback.
“He’s inaccurate at all three levels,” the exec said. “I can’t tell if he is going to get better, but there’s a huge gap between him and competent QB play.”
The good news for Sanders is that he has time to prove to head coach Todd Monken that he deserves the QB1 spot. Sanders will need to step up if he wants to help the Browns improve from their 5-12 finish last season.
