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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Shedeur Sanders fell to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft right after completing an FBS-record 74% of his throws for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns across 13 games for Colorado — his completion percentage and touchdown total both led the Big 12 — while leading the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record. It was one of the more surprising and dramatic draft slides in recent memory, and he didn't do much to make Cleveland Browns fans feel much better in his rookie season.
Sanders took over as the Browns starter for the final stretch of the season after beginning the year as the No. 3 quarterback behind Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel. But he finished with just 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, completing 56.6% of his passes over eight games. He ended with a passer rating of just 68.1, the second-lowest mark in the NFL.
But that's not to say there weren't flashes of star potential.
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In Week 14 against the Tennessee Titans, Sanders threw for 364 yards and three touchdowns, while adding a rushing score. He joined Aaron Rodgers as the only quarterbacks since 2000 to have four completions of 50+ yards in a game.
Over his last eight games, his 275 combined scramble and passing yardage on plays outside the pocket ranked eighth in the league, showing real playmaking ability with his arm and legs. He also made the Pro Bowl as a rookie replacement, where he went 18 of 22 for over 230 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
One of the biggest issues last season was that he had developed a bad habit of holding onto the ball for too long — his 3.24-second average time to throw was the highest in the NFL since his debut in Week 11.
It's no secret Sanders went through growing pains last year. But what rookie doesn't, and this season, he'll have much more to work with and an improved offensive line. In the eight games Sanders started, he was sacked 23 times, a pace that would have placed him among the league leaders over a full 17-game season.
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The Browns used their first three picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on the offensive side of the football, first selecting Utah's offensive tackle Spencer Fano ninth overall, before taking Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion 24th overall and Washington receiver Denzel Boston 39th overall.
In free agency, Cleveland signed two-time Pro Bowl center Elgton Jenkins, former first-round guard Zion Johnson, and traded for former first-round tackle Tytus Howard. They may have lost tight end David Njoku, but Harold Fannin Jr. already looks like one of the best young tight ends in football, leading the team in receiving yards (731), touchdowns (six), and receptions (72) as a rookie.
People inside the building have also raved all offseason about how Sanders has improved already, moving through his progressions quicker, working on his footwork, his body, and learning Todd Monken's new system.
"I think he's had an excellent spring," general manager Andrew Berry told 92.3 "The Fan" in June. "I think he did a phenomenal job this offseason ... We're all very excited to see Shedeur's fall camp, preseason, things of that nature when we get into padded situations, live situations, less scripted. But his growth has truly been phenomenal."
"I think he's being more decisive," Monken said. "It just feels like he's making quicker decisions. The ball's coming out of his hands."
There's still an ongoing competition between Sanders and Deshaun Watson, but something tells me he'll get his opportunity at some point in 2026. And with better protection up front and more proven weapons in the passing game, this might be his best real shot to show he can be the Browns' long-term answer at quarterback.
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