The Cleveland Browns had a plan for Shedeur Sanders' rookie season. Unfortunately, Joe Flacco's subpar play and Dillon Gabriel's concussion and struggles may have forced them to trhow him into the fire earlier than they would've wanted.
Sanders gave the offense a bit of a spark with a couple of big plays. However, the eye test and the numbers suggest he may not be what this team needs at the quarterback position, at least at this point in his development.
That's why team analyst Scott Petrak believes he's not a lock to return next season. Talking on 92.3 The Fan, he argued that the Browns could look to move on from him if they take another rookie in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“If you draft a rookie — which doesn’t seem likely right now, but things change between now and the draft — I don’t think you can bring back Shedeur Sanders. I think it’s just too much. But if you brought in a Mac Jones or Malik Willis, or drafted Garrett Nussmeier, could you keep Shedeur and have them compete? I could see that. But I don’t think it’s a guarantee that Shedeur comes back next year, depending on how the quarterback situation plays out.”
Browns’ next move could seal Shedeur Sanders’ fate in Cleveland
Sanders' numbers weren't much better than Gabriel's. He completed just 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions with a passer rating of 68.1. He scrambled 21 times for 169 yards and one touchdown, fumbling twice and losing one. Sanders also took 23 sacks for a loss of 164 yards, even though he only played in eight games (seven starts).
The fifth-round pick out of Colorado had the second-worst Pro Football Focus grade among eligible quarterbacks (44.1). He also ranked dead last in EPA per play (-0.81) and had a total EPA of -20.22. He struggled mightily under pressure and didn't seem to make much progress from his rookie season.
Granted, he was playing behind a decimated offensive line, with little to no talent at wide receiver, and within the confines of an overly conservative game plan. Also, it's never wise to give up on rookie quarterbacks, especially given that he didn't play a full season.
Still, having Sanders on the team comes with plenty of outside noise, as former head coach Kevin Stefanski learned the hard way. Considering that, whoever they hire as his replacement may not want to have to deal with the same stuff, especially if there's another rookie in town.