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Sanders was one of the worst passers in the league last year and seemingly heads to training camp as the underdog to Deshaun Watson for the starting job.
We’re still expecting Sanders to make starts this season, and he gets an upgraded pass-catching corps and offensive line. But he’ll need to play much better to even sniff reliable QB2 production.
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Sanders took over for Dillon Gabriel in Week 11 last year and then started the final seven games of the season. In those starts, he averaged:
Sanders ranked 27th among QBs in fantasy points per game over that stretch, and even that got propped up by a big Week 14 that found him second among QBs in fantasy points. He finished QB18 or worse in his other six starts.
Sanders was one of the worst passers in the league last year. Among 42 QBs with 150+ attempts, he ranked:
Sanders was also a sack-taking machine. He took 21 sacks across his seven starts and finished with the seventh-highest sack rate (9.8%) among those 42 QBs.
Sanders didn’t get much help from his teammates.
Rookie TE Harold Fannin Jr. was Sanders' most reliable target. TE David Njoku missed four of Sanders’ seven starts, and Cleveland trotted out WRs Isaiah Bond, Cedric Tillman, and Gage Larvadain behind Jerry Jeudy.
The offensive line was also a mess. The Browns finished 31st in PFF pass-blocking grade and 20th in ESPN pass-block win rate. Sanders faced pressure on a league-high 51.4% of his dropbacks.
Sanders plummeted to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He was the second QB selected by the Browns, two rounds behind Gabriel.
Sanders was an efficient passer throughout his college career, completing 69.6% of his attempts with 134 TDs vs. 27 INTs. But he has average arm strength and poor pocket presence, taking 150 sacks over his four college seasons.
Sanders faces new competition with Deshaun Watson back this year. Watson is entering the final year of his fully guaranteed $230 million contract and returning from his second right Achilles’ tear. He hasn’t suited up since October 2024 and hasn’t played well since he was with the Texans back in 2020. In three seasons with the Browns, Watson has completed 61.2% of his passes at 6.0 yards per attempt.
Early reporting has Watson as the favorite for the Week 1 starting job, but Sanders will have a chance to change that in training camp and preseason.
The Browns also return Gabriel and drafted QB Taylen Green in Round 6 this spring.
We’re expecting to see multiple QBs make starts for Cleveland this season.
The Browns made significant investments on offense this offseason, most notably spending a pair of top-40 draft picks on WRs KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.
Concepcion (24th overall) broke out as a freshman at North Carolina State in 2023 and led Texas A&M with 61 catches, 919 yards, and 9 TDs last year. He’s position-versatile and especially dangerous after the catch.
Boston (39th overall) is your classic big-bodied outside receiver. The 6’4, 212-pounder averaged 13.7 yards per catch with 20 TDs over his final two seasons at Washington.
They join Jerry Jeudy in what could at least be an average WR corps this season. That’d mark a big improvement over last year.
At TE, Cleveland let Njoku leave but brings back Fannin off an awesome rookie season. His 72 catches were the seventh-most by a first-year TE in NFL history. Fannin was efficient, too, ranking 12th in yards per route among 38 qualifying TEs.
Cleveland also rebuilt its offensive line after a disastrous 2025. The Browns moved on from longtime starters Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, Ethan Pocic, and Jack Conklin, replacing them with free agents Tytus Howard, Zion Johnson, and Elgton Jenkins, plus first-round rookie Spencer Fano.
Howard, Johnson, and Jenkins are expected to start. Here’s how they ranked at their positions in PFF pass-blocking grade last year:
Fano is expected to push Dawand Jones out of the starting lineup. A three-year starter at Utah, Fano allowed just 5 pressures and 0 sacks last year, winning the Outland Trophy as college football's top lineman.
This offensive line should improve after ranking near the bottom of the league in most metrics last season. That’s significant for Sanders, who struggles with pocket presence and throwing under pressure.
The Browns canned HC Kevin Stefanski and OC Tommy Rees after 2025 and replaced them with HC Todd Monken and OC Travis Switzer.
Monken confirmed during his introductory press conference that he'll call offensive plays. This is his first NFL head-coaching gig, but he has seven seasons of OC experience (three with the Buccaneers, one with the Browns, and three with the Ravens).
Monken’s Ravens teams were run-heavy, due in large part to having QB Lamar Jackson and RB Derrick Henry. But he leaned pass prior to that, with three of his first four offenses ranking higher in pass attempts than rush attempts.
Jameis Winston quarterbacked Monken’s three Bucs offenses, finishing 18th, 14th, and 11th among QBs in fantasy points per game.
Baker Mayfield finished QB26 as Monken’s starter with the 2019 Browns.
Improved weaponry and pass protection could boost Sanders’ passing efficiency this season. If he continues to add moderate rushing production as he did last year, he could be a useful QB2.
Sanders was one of the worst passers in the league last year and seemingly heads to training camp as the underdog to Watson for the starting job.
Sanders could spend 2026 as a backup.
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No Separation in Browns QB Battle Leaves Watson and Sanders Hard to Draft
No Separation in Browns QB Battle Leaves Watson and Sanders Hard to Draft
After an offseason that didn’t see any newcomers to challenge for the top quarterback spot, we’re nine days into Browns training camp and there isn’t a clear lead for it. Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports that there is “Zero apparent separation in the ongoing quarterback battle” between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.
Dillon Gabriel Threatens to Expand Browns QB Competition
Dillon Gabriel Threatens to Expand Browns QB Competition
Cleveland's QB competition has been viewed as Deshaun Watson vs. Shedeur Sanders throughout the offseason, which makes obvious sense. Sanders finished last year as the team's starter, and Watson's still making way too much money to not at least get consideration. But Dillon Gabriel has gained recent praise from HC Todd Monken and should see expanded practice reps.
Is Shedeur Sanders On Track to Start?
Is Shedeur Sanders On Track to Start?
The Athletic’s Zac Jackson believes Browns QB Shedeur Sanders “might be taking the lead” over Deshaun Watson in the competition for the starting job. Sanders and Deshaun Watson have taken turns running the first-team offense, but Jackson suggested that the second-year QB has outplayed Watson so far.
Another Signal That Deshaun Watson Will Pilot Browns Offense
Another Signal That Deshaun Watson Will Pilot Browns Offense
Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot reports that QB Deshaun Watson appears to be moving toward being named the Browns' starter for the coming season.
The Browns Select Insanely Athletic QB Taylen Green
The Browns Select Insanely Athletic QB Taylen Green
The Cleveland Browns selected Arkansas QB Taylen Green in Round 6 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Green started for two years at Boise State before transferring to Arkansas for his final two seasons. He combined for 5,868 passing yards with 34 passing TDs and 20 INTs over those two years. Green also added 1,379 rushing yards and 16 rushing TDs. Green’s game was bult on his elite athleticism. He ran a 4.36 40 with a 43.50” Vertical and 11’02” Broad Jump at 6’5 3/4 and 227 pounds. Among the 15 QBs invited to the NFL Combine, Green ranked 15th in 2025 adjusted completion percentage (71.3%), and sixth in aDOT (9.5). He ranked 12th in 2025 Big Time Throw rate (3.2%) and second in rushing yards per game when removing sacks (82.8). He is currently 23 years old.
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