Some people would argue that the Cleveland Browns haven’t had a true franchise quarterback since Bernie Kosar played for the team from 1985 to 1993. Now, in 2026, Cleveland is still looking for a long-term starter, and that has led the team to an offseason quarterback battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.
With everyone in the NFL world talking about the battle, Kosar recently shared his thoughts on how he thinks things will unfold, and even offered an endorsement for who he wants to see start. In an appearance on Yahoo! Sports Daily, Kosar was asked who he’d start in Week 1 if he were Todd Monken
The franchise legend first said that he believes Monken will start the quarterback that truly gives the team the best chance to win. Kosar went on to say that he hasn’t been to any practices yet this offseason, but expressed that he would absolutely love to see Shedeur Sanders get an opportunity as the starter.
"I wouldn't be surprised to see Shedeur get this opportunity early if he doesn't come out as the Game 1 starter." 👀
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 13, 2026
Bernie Kosar believes there's a real chance Shedeur could start for the Browns.
(via Yahoo Sports Daily) pic.twitter.com/2ql06Gulit
Bernie Kosar endorses Shedeur Sanders for Browns starting quarterback
The former Cleveland quarterback said he really enjoyed how Sanders played in his seven starts to end last season. Kosar argued that quarterback is a position that gets too much credit when a team wins, and too much blame when a team loses; he called quarterbacks victims or beneficiaries of the guys around them.
Kosar made that point to say that the Browns were devoid of talent in 2025. Despite that limited roster offensively, Kosar was impressed with the plays Sanders made as a rookie, so he wouldn’t be surprised if the young quarterback got the starting job early in the season.
Kosar went on to emphasize that point a few more times throughout the interview, saying he’s happy with all the additions Cleveland made on offense this offseason, so he wants to see how Sanders can elevate his game with a more talented squad.
Some critics would argue this is just making excuses for Sanders, but Kosar’s comments were pretty fair. The team’s actions this offseason also support what Kosar said about the offense; the Browns aggressively added offensive linemen and wide receivers because they needed to be better. Now, it’s up to Shedeur Sanders to prove he can be better with an improved supporting cast.
Add us as a preferred source on Google