Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher sees big potential in a longtime rival’s young quarterback.
Cowher shared praise for Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who was pressed into action this week after an injury to Deshaun Watson. Sanders performed well despite an overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints, but Cowher still sees big things in his future.
Steelers Coach Shares Praise for Shedeur Sanders
Speaking on the NFL on CBS, Cowher said he believes Sanders should permanently take the starting job from Watson.
“Shedeur Sanders should be the starter for this football team. He’s gonna be the future,” Cowher said. “I think what he showed today was his resiliency in coming back. He made great decisions. He extended plays. I love the way he played.”
Sanders completed 19-of-31 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s 23-22 loss, matching the Saints with a touchdown in overtime before ending the game on a missed two-point conversion pass.
Despite the loss, Sanders said afterward that he felt his abilities are growing.
“It was cool to even be able to get in that position,” Sanders said. “The moment never felt big, so that’s how I know I’m growing as a quarterback in this league.”
Browns head coach Todd Monken said he was proud of the performance from Sanders, but said he would not get into whether he could remain the starter once Watson is able to return from concussion protocol.
Steelers Could Look to Improve Offense
The Steelers have already finished their slate against the Browns this season, going 1-1. The Steelers are tied with the Cincinnati Bengals, with both teams riding four-game winning streaks to reach 6-2.
Though the Steelers had a bye this weekend, the team is expected to be active in seeking some help for the offense. They have been linked to several wide receivers, though could be out on one top potential targets.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport reported that the Indianapolis Colts are shopping wide receiver Josh Downs and already have at least one offer.
“Indianapolis has told other teams that it has received an offer of a fourth-round pick for wide receiver Josh Downs, who requested to be traded in the final year of his contract,” the pair reported. “The Colts initially were asking for a third-round pick for Downs. But if they want, based on what they have told teams, a fourth-rounder is waiting for them.”
Though the Steelers could be in the running for Downs, they are not the team that made the initial offer. The Steelers don’t have a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NFL draft.
Bill Cowher Shares Bold Prediction on Browns QB Shedeur Sanders