A coaching change in Cleveland has put Shedeur Sanders back at the center of the Browns’ quarterback conversation. While Sanders had opportunities during the regular season, he ultimately failed to do enough to secure Todd Monken’s confidence as the unquestioned starter.
Monken’s lack of commitment has raised red flags for some, including Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith, who believes Cleveland doesn’t have a better answer on the roster.
Emmitt Smith Pushes Back on Todd Monken’s Lack of Commitment to Shedeur Sanders
Sanders started the final seven games of the season after veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel opened the year. He finished with 1,400 passing yards, a 56.6 completion percentage, 7 touchdown passes, and 10 interceptions. He ranked 46th on PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, ahead of only Dillon Gabriel and Jake Browning.
Those numbers, however, don’t tell the full story of Sanders’ season. He flashed high-end arm talent, particularly as a deep passer, and managed to win three of his seven starts.
Several of his interceptions were the result of receiver miscues rather than poor decision-making. And given the confidence Sanders plays with, Smith believes Cleveland simply doesn’t have a better option on the roster, a belief that led him to question Monken’s approach.
“I guess coaches want to make sure guys know there’s no security in their position and they want them to be as competitive as possible,” Smith said about Monken not naming Sanders as the starter. “No one wants to hand anything to them. This is how they’re treating Shedeur.
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“But they handed it [the starting job] to Drake Maye. They also handed it to the kid in Jacksonville [Trevor Lawrence. What does Cleveland have? Absolutely nothing. So what’s the debate? Are you going to give it to Dillon [Gabriel] again?”
While Smith is clearly calling for Sanders to be named the starter, his comparison isn’t perfect. Maye and Lawrence were both top-three picks in their respective drafts, while Sanders was selected 144th overall. The Browns also own two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft and could still be evaluating long-term options at quarterback.
But, when it comes to the current roster, Smith’s point carries weight. Sanders clearly separated himself from Gabriel and showed a higher ceiling. Gabriel went 1–5 as a starter compared to Sanders’ 3–4 record, finishing with 937 passing yards, 7 touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Cleveland’s only other option is Deshaun Watson, who missed the entire season while recovering from injury. Watson is entering the final year of his fully guaranteed $230 million contract and could factor in as a veteran fallback, or potentially as a trade asset.
With the 2026 draft offering limited quarterback certainty beyond Fernando Mendoza, and the Las Vegas Raiders widely expected to select him first overall, Cleveland’s best path to winning next season may be committing to Sanders and surrounding him with talent rather than continuing to hedge at the position.
