The biggest storyline coming out of the 2025 NFL Draft was Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders falling to the fifth round. If you read between the lines of what NFL insider Adam Caplan is saying, a lack of belief in Sanders could have played a role in the firing of former head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Shedeur Sanders’ Path to Becoming the Browns’ Long-Term Quarterback
Appearing on “92.3 The Fan Cleveland,” a sports talk show on the Audacy app, Caplan was asked whether Sanders had a legitimate chance to be the starting quarterback of the future or if the Browns were “kicking the can down the road til 2027.”
Caplan’s response raises eyebrows, though it requires some reading between the lines. He noted that he talked with people around the Browns and “coaches who know what’s going on there.”
Caplan then added the following: “There was this belief in coaching circles that if you wanted to work with the Browns, you have to believe Shedeur Sanders would be a factor in the QB decision. There’s belief there’s talent with this guy. Had there not been concerns with his character, he wouldn’t have fallen past the third round.”
“There was this belief in coaching circles that if you wanted to work with the Browns you have to believe Shedeur Sanders would be a factor in the QB decision. There’s belief there’s talent with this guy. Had there not been concerns with his character, he wouldn’t have fallen… pic.twitter.com/dS1QDcrhwV
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) March 24, 2026
That first sentence says a lot because it suggests the organization did not want coaches on staff who lacked confidence in Sanders. Many remember the live look from the Browns’ draft room last year, where the staff appeared more disinterested than excited.
Stefanski drew significant criticism for the way he handled Sanders, and even former NFL running back Leonard Fournette wasn’t a fan of the approach.
Last season, Sanders earned seven starts after Joe Flacco began the season and was later traded to the Cincinnati Bengals. Fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, a third-round pick in the 2025 draft class, was given an opportunity after Flacco but suffered an injury.
Sanders went 3-4 as a starter, completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He finished No. 46 in PFSN’s QB impact metric with a 56.9 grade, which was just above the 51.0 score posted by Gabriel.
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Now, Sanders has a legitimate chance to secure the job under new head coach Todd Monken. The depth chart currently consists of Gabriel, Deshaun Watson, and Sanders.
Watson has not worked out in the Browns. While the team could give him another chance under his contract, his production has been underwhelming since signing a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million deal. As a starter in the Browns, he has produced a 9-13 record, a 61.1% completion rate, 3,365 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
This season marks the final year of Watson’s deal. The Browns may choose to move on from him at the first possible opportunity and allow Sanders, who showed more promise than Gabriel, a chance to compete this year.
That plan would likely include drafting players to support him, allowing the Browns to evaluate Sanders before deciding whether to move on toward a new top prospect in 2027.
