There’s no doubt Shedeur Sanders deserved opportunities much earlier. Had that been the case, the Cleveland Browns’ season might not be in the dire state it’s in now. Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel-the quarterbacks who played before Sanders this year-were a complete disaster and never came close to delivering a game at the level the former Colorado Buffaloes star has shown.
When preseason began, Shedeur Sanders was considered the fourth quarterback on the Browns’ roster, behind Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. Despite his considerable talent, Sanders was overlooked and forgotten. He didn’t step onto the field until Week 11 against the Ravens, and only because Dillon Gabriel entered the concussion protocol.
In that game against Baltimore, Sanders had a terrible second half, but it only confirmed what was already known: he had never trained with the first-team offense. Once he was named starter and finally allowed to practice with the starters, Sanders began showing why he had once been projected as a potential first-round draft pick-even though he is currently 1-2 as a starter.
Kevin Stefanski is on the hot seat
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was heavily criticized for keeping Shedeur Sanders sidelined and giving him no meaningful opportunities. Now that Deion Sanders’ son has shown real talent, Stefanski had no choice but to announce that Sanders will be the Browns’ starting quarterback for the rest of the season. The remaining games will not be easy, starting with the Chicago Bears next Sunday.
There is no doubt Stefanski’s job-despite being a two-time NFL Coach of the Year-is in serious jeopardy, and his future will largely depend on how Shedeur Sanders performs for the remainder of the season. Analyst Nick Wilson said on 92.3 The Fan: “If Shedeur keeps playing the way he did on Sunday… at the end of the season, you’re going to have to ask yourself, is Kevin Stefanski the right coach for him?”
We’ll have to wait and see whether Stefanski is the right coach to develop Shedeur Sanders, because what we saw with Dillon Gabriel was terrible. Sanders is coming off the best performance by a Cleveland Browns quarterback since 1950: 3 touchdown passes, 1 rushing touchdown, and 364 passing yards in a 31-29 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
This upcoming offseason will be extremely interesting and full of major decisions for the Cleveland Browns. For now, it is known that Deshaun Watson will return and have the chance to compete for the starting job, even though his tenure with the team has been a complete failure. It will be interesting to see what happens with Shedeur Sanders, but a strong finish to the season could give him a significant advantage over Watson heading into 2026.
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