Shedeur Sanders’ first goal of 2025 was to get drafted near the top. That didn’t happen. Now, his mission is to lead the Cleveland Browns to a solid season. The Browns, of course, appear to be starting over from scratch.
Teams in a rebuild don’t usually fix everything in the first year, but the Browns are hoping to flip the script. Not everyone believes they will, though — and for Sanders, that might mean his future in Cleveland is on the line before it even begins.
Shedeur Sanders Could Face an Uphill Battle in 2025
Writing in a May 27 article for ESPN, NFL analyst Ben Solak didn’t mince words. He predicted the Browns would start 0-5, setting the stage for fans to start eyeing college star Arch Manning.
“The first, collective swell of a fan base wanting to tank for the Arch Manning pick will come Oct. 5, when the Browns start 0-5. (Their early-season schedule is brutal.),” Solak wrote. “Manning will have just beaten the Florida Gators on Oct. 4 in a dazzling four-touchdown performance. The rallying cry will be ‘The March to Arch,’ or possibly ‘Planning for Manning.’”
#Browns Shedeur Sanders in 7 on 7s at OTAs: pic.twitter.com/GkgFNA08dy
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) May 28, 2025
Sanders, selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, wasn’t seen as the Browns’ next franchise savior when he was picked. If the team does decide to move on, it wouldn’t be the same kind of franchise-altering move it would have been if Sanders had been a first-rounder. Still, giving up on him after just one season would certainly turn heads.
Is Arch Manning A Highly-Touted QB Prospect?
PFSN Analyst Ian Cummings ranked Manning QB7 in his early 2026 NFL Draft QB rankings.
Cummings said, “It’ll be tough to get a true read on Arch Manning this summer. He’s a former No. 1 overall recruit, nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, and a gifted physical talent backed by Texas’ infrastructure. All the tools are there for a first-round breakout — but he’s only started two games.
“It’s also no guarantee that Manning declares in 2026, even if he plays well. Thanks to NIL earnings and the Manning family’s long-standing preference for four-year college careers, there’s no rush to leave early.
“Still, as long as he’s eligible, Manning belongs in the conversation. His small sample size already shows elite arm talent, layering ability, mobility, toughness and situational awareness. If 2025 is a breakout year, the draft buzz will be deafening.”
Cleveland’s QB Carousel Has a Long History
It wouldn’t be the first time the Browns moved on quickly from a young quarterback. Before Sanders, there was Deshaun Watson. Before Watson, it was Baker Mayfield. And before Mayfield, it was a host of other quarterbacks.
The Browns became the talk of the NFL in the early 2020s when they swapped out Mayfield, who had taken them to the playoffs for the first time since 2002, for Watson. Watson, of course, brought a storm of off-field controversies and had been coming off a 4-12 year in his last season with the Houston Texans.
Since that trade, the Browns haven’t been back to the postseason. Meanwhile, Mayfield has revitalized his career and made playoff appearances with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
So, could the Browns move on from another young quarterback too early? Time will tell.