The Cleveland Browns may or may not have a franchise quarterback on their roster. However, Shedeur Sanders does seem to have the potential to put an end to the team's woes at the position once and for all.
Head coach Todd Monken is admittedly a big fan of his game. He's been on to him since his days as the offensive coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs, and even if he's not the freak athlete Monken had with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, Sanders should be in the lead to start in 2026.
However, that doesn't mean there aren't many areas of improvement. When asked about the second-year signal-caller, Monken admitted that, even though he was a work in progress, he was looking forward to unleashing his full potential.
"I think what you see is elite playmaking ability. That's in him," Monken told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday. "Sure, there's a ways to go, but what rookie isn't? What first-year player doesn't have a long way to go? So, I'm excited to get started with him and all of our quarterbacks and players."
Todd Monken knows Shedeur Sanders is far from a finished product
The Browns will also give Deshaun Watson a chance to compete for the starting spot. As usual with a new coaching regime, it wouldn't be far-fetched to think they could also bring in external competition, whether via the NFL Draft, free agency, or a trade.
As things stand now, it looks like the Browns' clearest path to contention runs through Sanders. If he turns out to be good, they will have a franchise quarterback on a team-friendly contract for years to come. If he regresses, they'll probably be in a position to get a star prospect with a top-10 pick again next season.
This team is more than just one quarterback away, and even though he proved to be quite raw at times, it's not like Sanders was in a position to succeed in 2025. He played behind a mediocre and banged-up offensive line, had little to no talent at wide receiver, and had an inefficient running game. Add Kevin Stefanski's conservative play-calling to the equation, and it's no surprise to see his underwhelming numbers.
Still, it's always too. early to give up on a quarterback after a bad rookie season. We've seen countless late bloomers and reclamation projects. Patience and the right environment can make or break a quarterback.
Sanders isn't a perfect prospect by any means, but he has the work ethic and the organizational support to be much better than he was as a fifth-round rookie.