It was a whirlwind rookie season for Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who was selected in the fifth round out of Colorado after one of the more dramatic draft-weekend slides in recent memory.
Sanders was projected for most of the offseason as a first-round pick but ultimately fell to Day 3. He still earned a roster spot, though he began the year as the third-string quarterback behind veteran Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
Early in the season, the Browns benched Flacco in favor of Gabriel and later traded Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals, moving Sanders into the No. 2 role. Sanders eventually saw the field after Gabriel suffered an injury, opening the door for him to take over as the starter.
Sanders started the final seven games of the season, going 3–4 during that stretch. He finished the year completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while also adding 169 rushing yards and a touchdown.
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While the season was far from perfect and featured plenty of highs and lows, Sanders’ father and former college coach at Colorado, Deion Sanders, made it clear he was proud of his son during an appearance on “The Morning Run.”
“I’m proud of him because a lot of things happened behind the curtain that people aren’t pretty too,” Deion said. “He’s come so far spiritually… but he learned a lot as a young man… and he made it through the storms. I get on his nerves with text messages before and after the game about the direction and everything because I’m trying to protect him in certain ways because I know him. I know him like a book. But he’s been doing a phenomenal job… but just giving hope, man. Hope to the people that have been ostracized. He’s been a role model for that.”
The Browns are currently in the middle of a head coaching search after firing Kevin Stefanski, meaning whoever is hired will give Sanders another opportunity to earn their trust and prove why he should be the starting quarterback when Week 1 arrives next season—over Gabriel, a potential rookie from the 2026 draft class, or a veteran free agent, all of which remain options for Cleveland.
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