When Shedeur Sanders was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, his fans were mixed on the outcome. An epic draft slide left Sanders’ NFL future in limbo, but he was entering a quarterback competition that didn’t feature a surefire starter. By midseason, Sanders was the last man standing.
Veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett were traded away. Fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion and wasn’t performing well anyway. That left head coach Kevin Stefanski, who many believe didn’t like Sanders, with no choice but to slot in the former Colorado product. It didn’t go swimmingly, though, as Sanders struggled to limit turnovers and move the ball efficiently in the majority of his starts.
With Stefanski out of the way, no one knows what’s going to happen with Sanders. Deshaun Watson should be fully recovered from his injury by the start of the 2026 season, and the Browns could very well bring in more quarterback competition through the draft or free agency. Sanders’ future with the team may hinge on who the Cleveland front office hires as the next head coach.
Is Nathan Scheelhaase the best option for Shedeur Sanders and the Browns?
There’s one specific candidate who may be Sanders’ best chance to develop and become a starter in the league, whether it’s for the Browns or some other team in the future. Newsweek sports reporter Tyler Erzberger recently outlined why Nathan Scheelhaase could be that guy.
While every team wants to find the perfect protege of McVay, Scheelhaase might actually be the one. Only 35, if he goes to the right team, could be their next head coach for the next two decades-plus. Like McVay when he came to Los Angeles and helped a hapless Jared Goff play to his strengths, Scheelhaase could do the same with Sanders. If the Browns go a more traditional route, there’s a good chance a veteran would want a more experienced QB to start his rebuild with, or go out and get his own signal-caller in the draft.
Scheelhaase has been with the Los Angeles Rams for the past two seasons, first as an offensive assistant and then as the pass game coordinator under Sean McVay this season. A former college football quarterback, Scheelhaase could be the youth infusion the Browns need at head coach.
Scheelhaase has already interviewed with the Browns and is a head coach candidate for other openings around the league. Cleveland needs to move in a completely new direction after Stefanski, and Scheelhaase might be the way to do it.
Read the full article here
