Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will make the second start of his career on Sunday against the 49ers. The team is open to giving Sanders an “extended look” as its starter beyond then, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
A fifth-round pick after a decorated career at Colorado, Sanders made his NFL debut when rookie third-rounder Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion in a Week 11 loss to the Ravens. Sanders completed just 4 of 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception in relief.
With Gabriel’s concussion holding him out last week, Sanders took the reins against the Raiders. After a full week receiving first-team reps, Sanders finished 11 of 20 for 209 yards, a touchdown, and a pick. The Browns picked up a 24-10 victory to improve to 3-8.
Although Gabriel cleared concussion protocol on Monday, head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that he’s sticking with Sanders. Stefanski’s decision didn’t come as a surprise on the heels of a win with Sanders at the helm. Gabriel’s struggles when healthy surely made it an even easier choice for Stefanski.
The Browns stumbled to a 1-5 mark between Gabriel’s promotion to the starting role in Week 5 and his concussion. Gabriel only managed 116 passing yards in his lone win, a 31-6 blowout over the Dolphins in Week 7. The left-hander from Oregon has thrown seven touchdowns against two interceptions, but he has completed just 59.2% of passes and averaged a meager 5.1 yards per attempt. He ranks 31st among 33 qualifiers in QBR, beating out the Raiders’ Geno Smith and the Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy.
While Sanders didn’t exactly light it up against the Raiders, he doesn’t have a high bar to clear to outdo Gabriel’s output. It also helps that practice squad signal-caller Bailey Zappe is the only other healthy QB in the fold. It’s too early to say Gabriel won’t turn into an NFL-caliber starter, but he hasn’t looked the part yet. With that in mind, it makes sense for the out-of-contention Browns to give Sanders a longer look as they map out their future.
Assuming the Browns no longer regard the injured Deshaun Watson as the answer, they’ll need to find a franchise quarterback somewhere. If the Browns don’t believe they have one in Gabriel or Sanders when the offseason rolls around, they’ll have to consider upgrading in free agency, the trade market, and the draft. The 2026 rookie QB class hasn’t drawn rave reviews, but with the Browns set to enter the draft with two first-rounders (one from Jacksonville), that may be their best hope for a long-term solution.