It’s been a fine line for the Cleveland Browns to walk all season here in 2026, with the big-picture plan clearly having been to upgrade the offensive talent across the board–certainly at receiver and along the offensive line–so that the team can plug in a quarterback and still have a chance at success. Indeed, we’ve seen that play out so far for the Browns, as the overall improvements on offense have allowed Deshaun Watson to get the team off to a surprisingly good 5-3 start, with Shedeur Sanders having pitched in for a narrow overtime loss to the Saints in Week 9.
Sanders threw for 297 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in the game.
The problem for the Browns, though, is that Watson would really be a stretch as the long-term solution at quarterback for this franchise, given his spotty history with the team and the fact that, even though his record is good, his numbers have not been very inspiring–he is rated the No. 31 quarterback in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, out of 37. He is also 31 years old, which does not provide much runway for growth going forward.
Browns Need to Know More on Shedeur Sanders
The Browns need a young alternative who can grow into the job–either now or soon, in the 2027 NFL draft. The Browns have two first-round picks on hand and the belief has long been that they will use one–unless they package both to move up–to pick their quarterback of the future next April. But before then, won’t they at least need to see how Sanders looks in his development after one up-and-down start last week?
According to longtime Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot, yes.
As she wrote in her mailbag this week: “I do think the Browns are in a situation where they’ll want to see more of Shedeur Sanders this season to help inform their draft plans for 2027. They have two first-round picks and have been heavily scouting the college quarterbacks this fall. …
“(The Browns) will want to gauge Sanders’ growth and upside if the opportunity presents itself. At the same time, they’ll do everything possible to make the playoffs, and will play the quarterback each week who gives them the best chance to win. If they determine that Sanders has a better chance of putting points on the board and winning games, they’ll turn the offense over to him.”
There’s no sign of when that will happen, though. If the Browns, after two straight losses, can right the ship and move to 6-4 against a tough Texans team on Sunday, they’ll be back in the AFC playoff mix and, presumably, will keep pushing toward the postseason. As long as that is a realistic goal, how will Sanders see the field?
Browns ‘Want More’ of Shedeur Sanders in 2026