Shedeur Sanders is closing the gap in Cleveland's quarterback race
After a bumpy rookie year, the Browns' second-year passer has turned his footwork and processing into real progress, and Cleveland is no longer rushing to name a starter.
When the Browns left mandatory minicamp without naming a starting quarterback, it was easy to read that as indecision. The truer explanation is that Shedeur Sanders gave the coaching staff a reason to keep watching. After a rookie season that swung between flashes and frustration, Cleveland's second-year passer has spent the offseason cleaning up the parts of his game that held him back, and the people grading him have noticed.
What did Sanders' rookie season actually look like?
It was a mixed bag, which is normal for a young quarterback on a rebuilding roster. Shedeur Sanders appeared in eight games and made seven starts, finishing with seven touchdown passes against 10 interceptions. The film showed real creativity once plays broke down, but it also showed the habit that defined his rookie struggles. Sanders held the ball too long, a carryover from his college days, and his average time to throw was the highest in the league from the point he entered the lineup. When he hung onto the ball past four seconds, the pressure and the sacks piled up. The talent was visible, but so was the work left to do.
What has he improved this offseason?
Sanders stayed in Cleveland through the winter to train rather than scatter his offseason elsewhere, and the focus areas were specific. The first was footwork, tying his lower body to his decision-making so the ball comes out on time. The second was processing, getting through his progressions faster instead of locking onto a read and waiting for it to come open. He also reshaped his body, which ownership pointed to as a sign of how seriously he took the work. None of this guarantees anything in pads, but it directly targets the issues that hurt him as a rookie. That is the kind of growth a staff can build on.
How does the competition with Deshaun Watson stand?
Deshaun Watson went into the spring as the clear favorite, returning from the Achilles rupture he suffered in October 2024 and a second surgery that followed. He led the way early and split first-team reps through the offseason program. But Sanders closed the distance enough that head coach Todd Monken declined to settle the job after minicamp. "They've both played well enough to earn the right to compete to start," Monken said, framing this as a real race rather than a formality. The decision now carries into training camp, where padded, less scripted work will tell the staff more. For a rebuilding team, letting the competition breathe costs nothing and could clarify plenty.
What are the coaches saying about him?
The praise from inside the building has been pointed rather than vague. General manager Andrew Berry called Sanders' spring excellent and described his growth as phenomenal, language that stands out for a player who threw 10 interceptions a year ago. Monken echoed the enthusiasm and said he is eager to see how Sanders handles fall camp and the preseason once the situations get live and unscripted. Owner Jimmy Haslam noted that Sanders' body looks better and credited his work ethic over the winter. The throughline is decisiveness, the ball coming out quicker and the feet matching the mind. Cleveland is not declaring victory, but the staff is clearly encouraged.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: How Shedeur Sanders is making strides in Browns' QB competition
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