There’s a particular kind of loneliness that comes with competing for a job you thought you’d already earned. Shedeur Sanders is standing at midfield, caught in that emotion. The Cleveland Browns quarterback, fresh off a rookie season that somehow ended in a Pro Bowl selection, is not being handed the keys to the franchise.
Instead, he’s being handed a whistle and told to compete again, and depending on who you ask, that’s either fair or foreshadowing.
Skip Bayless Questions Shedeur Sanders’ Future as Browns Keep Starting Job Open
When general manager Andrew Berry and new head coach Todd Monken addressed the quarterback situation, they chose their words carefully. The starting job, they said, is “to be determined.”
Sanders will compete with veteran Deshaun Watson, who is attempting to return from multiple surgeries, and Dillon Gabriel.
Meanwhile, analyst Skip Bayless recently put his confidence level in Sanders retaining the starting role at a “two” on a scale of one to ten. He expressed surprise that the organization didn’t frame the offseason as Sanders’ job to lose.
“Obviously, I wanted to hear from Monken and the GM Berry at the Combine that this would be Shedeur’s job to lose. I heard open competition. … I don’t love where this is heading next year for Shedeur and I am still not sure that his long term future is in Cleveland,” Bayless said.
From the outside looking in, the decision makes sense, as Sanders’ rookie repertoire isn’t airtight. After sliding to the fifth round in the 2025 NFL draft, a fall that was surprising, he began the season as a backup. His opportunity came in Week 12. From there, he started the final seven games.
The results were uneven but revealing. He finished 3-4 as a starter, throwing for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and ten interceptions. His completion percentage settled at 56.6, with a 56.9 PFSN QB Impact Score.
On the ground, he added 169 rushing yards and a touchdown, often scrambling less out of design and more out of necessity.
Context matters here. The Browns’ offensive line had a hard time throughout the year, and Sanders absorbed 23 sacks in just eight appearances. Protection was inconsistent, and regarding this, Bayless said:
“What did I see last year? Shedeur got to start seven games, and he showed you what he can be. He did this, remember, behind the offensive line that Pro Football Focus ranked, all year long, dead last. And he did this with the wide receivers that Pro Football Focus, all year long, ranked dead last in the NFL.”
Nevertheless, to stabilize the situation, the Browns traded for offensive tackle Tytus Howard from the Houston Texans to fortify the pocket for whoever ultimately wins the job.
