When the Cleveland Browns take the field in Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will be making his first start. Sanders has been adamant that he’s only focused on executing and getting a win against the Raiders, but fans and media members have been quick to point out the possible outcomes of his performance. The belief is that if Sanders plays poorly, he’ll be headed back to the bench once Dillon Gabriel clears concussion protocol. If he plays well, he could start the remaining six games on the schedule.
While Sanders' performance will determine how much he plays the rest of the season, the reality is his play to end the year will likely decide on his future with the Browns. It may seem dramatic, and like there’s more than two polar options, but the next seven games will either decide that Shedeur Sanders is the quarterback Cleveland will build around or that he won’t be on the roster for the 2026 season.
Shedeur Sanders' fate with Browns will come down to two dramatically different options
The first option, Sanders becoming a building block for Cleveland, is simple: the rookie quarterback will perform so well against the Raiders that he can’t be taken off the field. He would then have to finish the year on such a strong run that he convinces the Browns not to draft a quarterback in 2026. While some will argue that’s an unlikely outcome, the truth is no one knows. What happens between the lines often has the final say in this league, so Sanders could very well play himself into being Cleveland’s franchise quarterback.
The other option, Sanders not even being on the Browns’ roster next season, would be a result of his play not preventing Cleveland from drafting a first-round quarterback in 2026. While the Browns could bring in a rookie next season, and keep Sanders around, that probably won’t happen. The reasons why are that Cleveland likely wouldn’t want to have another offseason with a four-man quarterback room (Sanders, Gabriel, a healthy Deshaun Watson, and a 2026 first rounder), and the franchise probably doesn’t want a first-round rookie to have to deal with the noise surrounding Shedeur Sanders.
If Cleveland invests in a first-round quarterback in the 2026 Draft, the franchise is essentially declaring it believes the player can be the Browns franchise quarterback. Many people would argue it’s not beneficial for a young quarterback to play in front of a player with a following like Sanders’. Cleveland saw that first hand with Dillon Gabriel this season, but his draft position didn’t really anoint him as the future of the franchise.
When Sanders takes the field on Sunday, every drop back will already be heavily scrutinized, and used to push narratives in one direction or the other. While that’s the dramatic world Sanders exists in, the reality is that Sunday’s game is either the start of him declaring himself Cleveland’s franchise quarterback or the beginning of the end of a very short tenure with the team.