When the 2025 campaign concluded, it seemed that the Cleveland Browns had found their long-term starter.
While he had a lot of work to do to become a reliable starting quarterback in the NFL, then-rookie Shedeur Sanders showed enough to warrant real consideration to be the leader of the Browns moving forward.
However, the moment the front office moved on from head coach Kevin Stefanski and opened a new chapter in the franchise's storied history, that sentiment came crashing down.
After battling for the starting job all offseason, Sanders lost the race to controversial quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has begun the 2026 season off nicely. He has experienced plenty of bumps in the road along the way, but has the Browns atop the AFC North standings with a 4-2 record through six weeks.
While it is obviously great to see the Browns playing competitive football, Watson's success puts the Browns in a difficult situation moving forward.
Watson's currently in the final year of his deal, and with how controversial and rocky his tenure in Cleveland has been since he was traded just a few years back, it seems unlikely that the two sides would work out a return deal.
That means that Sanders could end up becoming the starter yet again.
But is he ready for that? And is the front office even thinking about such a decision?
The Front Office's Perspective
When the Browns named Watson the starter, both the front office and Monken confirmed it was primarily an experience-based decision.
The 31-year-old has been in the league since 2017, throwing for 19,078 yards and 130 touchdowns along the way. He hasn't played the best since joining the Browns back in 2022, but still commands an offense well and can recognize different tendencies.
Sanders, on the other hand, is still quite raw. He put together a rookie campaign that saw 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The numbers may not show it, but he got himself into trouble quite a few times, throwing the ball into odd situations or scrambling into traffic both into and outside of the pocket. To put it simply, he looked like a first-year signal caller.
From the organization's perspective, starting Watson may have been just the safer option for a team looking to give Monken a chance to succeed in his first year as a head coach. Instead of working out the kinks in Sanders' game on game day, they can do so on the practice field and behind closed doors.
With the Browns being 4-2, it seems like the decision has paid off so far.
However, the bigger question is whether that short-term success aligns with Cleveland's long-term plans.
Keeping Watson ahead of him on the depth chart gives Sanders time to learn, but with the path ahead so murky, things could just continue to get even more complicated, especially if Watson leaves in the offseason.
Could This Cause Issues For Sanders?
It seems like a relatively odd question to ask, especially considering the 24-year-old has a lot to prove.
But the last thing the Browns want to do is frustrate or put wrinkles in the timeline of yet another quarterback. It is something they have done time and time again, routinely resetting the quarterback development process in Cleveland.
For a young quarterback trying to establish himself in the NFL, though, the situation he is in is a difficult balancing act. Sitting behind a veteran can provide him with valuable experience, but after getting time to develop on the field in 2025, he now has to do it off it in 2026.
There is no reason to assume Sanders is unhappy with his current situation, but if the Browns keep Watson around in 2027 or make a move for another quarterback to take his place, his long-term outlook in Cleveland will begin to look grim.
Sooner rather than later, the Browns will have to determine whether or not the future revolves around him.
Another Option?
Could the Browns make a move in the 2027 NFL Draft to select a top quarterback? Maybe, but it doesn't seem likely at this point.
The team has gone from quarterback to quarterback over the last few campaigns, and even drafted two back in 2025: Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, and one in 2026: Taylen Green. Drafting yet another would continue to crowd the quarterback room, making it even more difficult for a coaching staff to develop one of them properly.
Instead, it seems far more likely that the Browns, who have two picks in the first round of the upcoming draft, will select pieces to fit alongside one of the quarterbacks they currently have.
No matter what the Browns end up doing with Sanders moving forward, the 2026 campaign will certainly be looked back on with plenty of confusion.
If Cleveland really does believe Sanders is the future, why not start him from Week 1 onward? If they don't think he has what it takes to be a starter in the league, at least not yet, why didn't they just say that?
For now, questions will continue to be asked. And only the guys at the top really know what plan is in motion for 2027.
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