Shedeur Sanders is in a better place than he was a year ago.
That may not be enough for Colorado Buffaloes fans who are following their former star quarterback on his NFL journey with the Cleveland Browns, but it’s going to have to do for now.
The Browns released their official Week 1 depth chart on Tuesday, and while it doesn’t contain any surprising news, it does reveal Sanders’ place in the pecking order.
It had already been announced earlier in the preseason that it would be Deshaun Watson, not Sanders, getting the starting gig in Cleveland.
Shedeur Sanders Steps Up In NFL Year 2
Sanders is officially the backup, the QB2, on the Browns’ Week 1 depth chart.
In the Browns’ unofficial depth chart ahead of their Week 1 opener, Teven Jenkins is still listed at starting right guard. Todd Monken hasn’t committed to a starter between Jenkins and rookie Austin Barber.
Shedeur Sanders is also listed at backup QB, for anyone wondering.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) September 8, 2026
It’s not a surprise. Sanders and Watson were the two Cleveland quarterbacks who competed during the preseason.
Dillon Gabriel is starting the year out injured, and Taylen Green was never going to challenge for one of the top-two QB spots on the depth chart.
That meant that once Watson won the job, Sanders was always going to be his backup.
Given the circumstances, it makes sense that Sanders will probably start at some point this season. It’s just not obvious when — it’ll likely depend on how well or how poorly Watson plays.
Why This Is Different
It may feel like a long time ago now, but Sanders wasn’t the Browns’ backup in Week 1 last year.
In fact, Sanders spent most of last summer as the Browns’ QB4.
They had drafted Gabriel in the third round out of Oregon before taking Sanders in the fifth round. They also had veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.
The Browns eventually traded Pickett away to allow the two rookies to be behind Flacco on the depth chart, but it was Gabriel ahead of Sanders at that point.
Then in the middle of the season, the Browns traded Flacco to the Bengals, pushing Gabriel into the starting spot. And when Gabriel got hurt in their midseason matchup with the Ravens, Sanders came in, and he remained the starter from there.
Sanders was viewed as a potential first-round pick out of Colorado, but then he had that historic draft slide to the fifth round. From that draft status, he was always going to have to work to prove himself, and he’s still doing that.
But at least right now he’s one step away from a starting NFL quarterback job. That’s closer than he was last season. And even if it doesn’t feel this way, it’s a sort of progress.
Ex-Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders Gets Official Browns Depth Chart Spot for NFL Year 2