The Cleveland Browns are heading into the offseason with more questions than answers, and the biggest one is about the quarterback position. After a tough 4-12 season, constant changes at quarterback, and increasing pressure on the coaching staff, it’s shaping up to be another crucial spring in Berea.
Has Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Done Enough To Start in 2026?
Amid this uncertainty, longtime Browns analyst Tony Grossi stepped in with his candid take on ESPN Cleveland, reigniting the conversation about rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders and whether he’s truly proven himself to be the clear starter for 2026.
During his appearance on ESPN Cleveland alongside Tony Rizzo, Grossi made it clear that he doesn’t think Sanders has secured the starting job for next season.
“To be honest, Riz, I don’t think he’s earned your number one next year. I think there’s a competition,” Grossi said, naming Dillon Gabriel and even Deshaun Watson as potential challengers. “It looks like we’re going to do it over again. We’re going to punt on the quarterback and wait for 2027.”
“I don’t think he’s earned to be your no. 1 next year, I think there’s a competition,” – @TonyGrossi on Shedeur’s future with the Browns.
Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/IGiElM7dcQ
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) January 2, 2026
This perspective comes despite Sanders showing some real potential towards the end of the season. In last week’s 13-6 victory over the Steelers, the rookie had his most efficient first quarter in six NFL starts, completing 10 of 13 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown while effectively targeting both intermediate and deep routes. He wrapped up the game with 17 completions on 23 attempts for 186 yards, but two interceptions and a late-game offensive slump highlighted the inconsistency that has marked his time so far.
Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees acknowledged both sides of Sanders’ performance. “I thought he made really good decisions, made a couple high-level throws,” Rees said, while also noting the offense failed to sustain momentum. Head coach Kevin Stefanski echoed that balance, pointing to learning moments tied to risk management and decision-making under pressure.
Statistically, Sanders’ overall profile remains uneven: a 2-4 record as a starter, 57.4% completion rate, 1,289 yards, seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a 68.5 passer rating. Yet context matters. All seven of Cleveland’s completions of 40-plus yards this season have come with Sanders at quarterback, adding a vertical element the offense lacked with Joe Flacco and Gabriel.
Sanders himself has leaned into that identity. He said he likes to throw the ball down the field and give his guys a chance. As he prepares for his final start of the season against Cincinnati, Sanders knows the stakes. “I can’t think about what other people’s opinion is,” he said. “I can’t be accountable for somebody else’s decisions.”
Those decisions loom large. Sanders openly admitted the uncertainty inside the locker room, saying, “Half of us don’t know if we gonna be here next year.” With Stefanski under outside scrutiny, a potential top-10 draft decision approaching, and respected voices like Grossi urging caution, Sanders’ development may not be enough to prevent another quarterback competition.
Sanders is ranked 44th in the NFL in PFSN’s QB Impact Score through 7 games, with a 57.0 grade. And the Browns are ranked 32nd in offense with a 52.8 grade in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric.
For Cleveland, the dilemma is familiar. For Sanders, Sunday in Cincinnati represents one last audition not to silence the noise entirely, but to prove he belongs at the center of whatever comes next.
