The Cleveland Browns were dominated by the Chicago Bears on Sunday, losing 31-3, but considering that it was Cleveland’s 11th loss of the season, the result isn’t really a big deal.
The season is no longer about wins and losses for the Browns — it’s about Myles Garrett getting the sack record, and determining if Shedeur Sanders is the quarterback of the future or not.
Sunday’s game was a huge one for the inevitable Sanders decision. Based on how the game unfolded, it should be clear what Cleveland needs to do in the 2026 Draft. Cleveland’s rookie quarterback threw three interceptions in Sunday’s game, but it was still obvious that it would better serve the Browns to move forward with Sanders and use their two first-round picks to build the offense around the quarterback.
Browns would benefit from building offense around Shedeur Sanders
That may seem like an odd conclusion after Sanders had the worst start of his young career, completing 18-of-35 passes for 177 yards and three interceptions, while also being sacked five times, but it’s a conclusion that makes sense based off watching the game, and not just reading the box score. Simply put, Sanders delivered more promising moments the franchise can be excited about, while the offense, as a whole, showed how many issues it has that need to be addressed.
The main issues are on the offensive line and in the pass catching group. Cleveland was down four starting linemen on Sunday, and it showed. While it manifested in pressure on Sanders, it was especially on display in the run game. Sanders led the Browns in rushing with 24 yards on two scrambles. Removing those plays, Cleveland had just 26 yards on 14 attempts, averaging 1.9 yards per carry.
It would be easy to blame this on the group of backups who had to start, but the Browns' starting line hasn’t been that good, either, and they are either aging or set to be free agents. In other words, building the offensive line needs to be a priority for Cleveland this offseason, and using a first-round pick on one would be ideal.
Sanders, on the other hand, had a rollercoaster of a game. Despite his ugly stat line, he had several moments throughout the game where he did something that left people thinking: That’s worth building around.
His two 40-plus-yard throws to Isaiah Bond were some of those moments. Sanders also had some impressive plays that showcased how tough the circumstances he’s currently playing in are, like when he completed a pass to Harold Fannin Jr., despite Sanders having a defender hanging on his body.
The play that best exemplified that, though, was Sanders’ second interception. The rookie quarterback threaded the perfect throw to Jerry Jeudy for what should have been a touchdown, but it instead bounced off Cleveland’s No. 1 wideout’s chest and landed in the hands of a defender. That play showed Sanders’ talent that’s worth building around — and also that the Browns need a real No. 1 receiver.
The good news is Cleveland has the necessary draft picks to land a first-round receiver and a first-round offensive lineman, with a talented quarterback for them to work with already in place. While taking that approach is a simple one that makes a ton of sense, the Browns could still go the route of drafting a quarterback in 2026 with a top-three pick, and dropping him into a terrible situation.