Shedeur Sanders has suggested he is capable of playing at a higher level than several quarterbacks currently starting in the NFL, despite being without a clear role with the Cleveland Browns.
The 23-year-old was a surprise faller in the 2025 NFL Draft, slipping to the fifth round, but he showcased his promise in his preseason debut by throwing two touchdowns and completing 14 of 23 passes against the Carolina Panthers.
That performance quieted some doubters before it was quickly undone with a weak outing against the Los Angeles Rams, leaving him as the Browns’ QB3, as his immediate path to playing time remains complicated.
Sanders sits behind Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel on the depth chart, meaning that he’s unlikely to take a single snap in the 2025/26 NFL season without injury promoting him, as things stand.
Shedeur sends message to Stefanski
Nevertheless, the young passer has not been shy about expressing his self-belief as the son of the Pro Football Hall of Famer, Deion Sanders, backs himself over his peers,
“I know if you see the quarterback play in the league right now, I know I’m capable of doing better than that,” Sanders told ESPN Cleveland, in a thinly veiled message to his head coach, Kevin Stefanski.
He added that he is “ready to play right now” if called upon as Flacco continues struggling for form as the 40-year-old Super Bowl winner puts up 631 yards on 77 attempts, but has been sacked six times, tossed a fumble and four interceptions too.
Sanders, meanwhile, waits on the sidelines after an illustrious college career in which he threw for 4134 yards and 37 touchdowns with a 74 percent completion rate for the Colorado Buffaloes, leading the team to the Alamo Bowl under Coach Prime.
Against Carolina, he managed two touchdowns and 138 yards through the air showing that he has the potential to make the step up, although he then struggled against the Rams with just 14 yards on three completions.
Which quarterbacks have struggled at the start of the 2025 NFL season?
Sanders’ assertion comes at a time when several established quarterbacks across the league are facing scrutiny for their performances.
For example, another Super Bowl champion in the form of Russell Wilson has already lost his starting job with the New York Giants to Jaxson Dart after just three weeks of the season.
The switch comes after a tough outing in Week 1 with just 168 yards on 37 attempts (46 percent) against the Washington Commanders with two sacks allowed and a QB rating of just 29.9.
He then had an explosive day against the Dallas Cowboys with 450 yards, three touchdowns on 41 attempts, surrendering three sacks and an interception before he then delivered 160 yards on 31 attempts vs the Kansas City Chiefs.
With the Giants now 0-3 in the NFC East, they have hooked their $10m starter for their rookie. Other young quarterbacks have also endured difficulties.
For example, the Atlanta Falcons’Michael Penix Jr. and Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix, both in their second professional seasons, have struggled with accuracy and consistency.
His fellow rookie, Cameron Ward (Tennessee Titans) ranks second-last of the 32 quarterbacks to start in 2025 when it comes to looking at QBR.
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