The Cleveland Browns have more spotlight on their offseason program than ever before, primarily because of Shedeur Sanders. The Colorado alum’s shocking draft slide was ended by the Browns in the fifth round, and despite reports of his unprofessional conduct in the pre-draft interviews, the 23-year-old continues to remain the focal point of Cleveland’s offseason.
Sanders is in a four-way battle for the starting quarterback job and is widely believed to be considered QB4 by the Browns, largely because he was the last one added to the room. However, the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders has been highly impressive at the OTAs and the minicamp, and former Cleveland QB Johnny Manziel has no doubt whatsoever that he will become the starter for the Browns.
Johnny Manziel Predicts Shedeur Sanders Can Win The QB1 Battle of the Cleveland Browns
Manziel was selected 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2014 NFL Draft, a year after he had won the Heisman Trophy with Texas. He, however, started only six games for the Browns over two seasons before domestic violence and drug abuse charges ruined his career in 2016.
Like Manziel in 2014, Sanders was also considered a first-round pick. But no other player has ever suffered as shocking a slide as Sanders, and Manziel was all praise about how the QB had managed to smile through the adversity.
“To be honest, I think he handled it as good as you possibly can with a smile on your face and just letting letting everything kind of play itself out because it’s not easy to sit there, early in the draft process, and ‘we’re gonna be in first five picks’ and you sit there for five rounds, that’s a highly like anxious spot to be in, even for me, sitting and waiting to the end of the first round,” Manziel said on his Glory Daze Podcast. “I was like, I don’t think I would have been able to handle it the way he did. Props to him to be able to face that and just take it straight on.”
Speaking on the Browns’ four-man quarterback room, Manziel noted Sanders had an opportunity to prove his doubters wrong. He appeared confident in Sanders’ abilities and predicted he would win the starting job but didn’t specify when that could happen.
“He’s got an opportunity now in Cleveland with a quarterback situation he can honestly come out of and win the job,” Manziel added. “I think he’ll do well. I really do. I think the kid works really hard and loves the game of ball… I think he’ll be successful.”
“Honestly he can come out and win the job, I think he’ll do well, I really do,” – @JManziel2 is rooting for Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/UwJ7yZc2c8
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 16, 2025
The Browns will need to decide on their QB1 soon so that they don’t split reps between four quarterbacks for the duration of training camp and take those reps away from the starter.
Some believe 40-year-old Joe Flacco’s experience would lead to him starting the year before one of the young quarterbacks, Sanders or Dillon Gabriel, takes over once they are further integrated into the system. However, at the moment, Sanders is the frontrunner among the rookies, and if not Week 1, he’s bound to get an opportunity as the season progresses.