WILL SHEDEUR SANDERS EVENTUALLY BECOME THE BROWNS STARTING QUARTERBACK THIS SEASON? (8-23-25)
By Nyle Griffin
August 23, 2025 / 7:55 PM EDT / LegacyMaker Sports Network
As the 2025-26 NFL season approaches, one story has grabbed the attention of the national sports media and fans worldwide. Will Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, son of famous NFL Legend and Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who was drafted in the 5th round with the 144th overall pick in this year’s draft, eventually become the starter this season?
Sanders being picked in the 5th round of this year’s draft surprised many people as Shedeur was seen as the consensus number two quarterback in the draft by not only fans but also by NFL Draft analysts such as Mel Kiper. Sanders originally attended an HBCU, Jackson State University in Jackson Mississippi, where he played for two years while being coached by his father Deion Sanders. Sanders put up impressive numbers in his two years at Jackson State, throwing 70 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions.
After two years at Jackson State, Deion Sanders accepted an offer to become head football coach of the University of Colorado, which led to him bringing Shedeur along with him as well as his other son Shilo Sanders. One notable player that Deion also took with him was generational talent Travis Hunter, the number one-ranked overall prospect in the 2022 college football recruiting class.
Hunter plays both sides of the ball, Receiver and Defensive Back. He was the perfect match for Shedeur Sanders. Their chemistry and connection were shown throughout their two years together at Colorado. In 2024, Travis Hunter won the most prestigious individual award in all of college football, the Heisman Trophy. Shedeur Sanders played a huge role in putting Hunter in the position to get the award, throwing him 15 touchdowns.
In only two years Shedeur Sanders brought swagger and notoriety to the University of Colorado that the university hadn’t seen since the early 90s. Sanders being a young talented and confident quarterback who happens to be the son of an NFL Legend and Hall of Famer was the perfect mix, Sanders flashed his expensive jewelry, cars, clothes, and more. Shedeur Sanders also popularized a unique celebration in which he lifts his wrist in the air showing the crowd his Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch as well as a song made by Shedeur titled “Perfect Timing”, which has amassed over 1.1 million views on YouTube today. Sanders’confidence, flashiness, and skill all made watching Colorado football incredibly exciting to watch.
While Colorado didn’t make it to the CFP (College Football Playoff) in his two years at Colorado, he did put up solid numbers, 64 total touchdowns and only 13 interceptions. Shedeur Sanders and his father brought the University of Colorado to the national media stage, celebrities all across the country were showing up at Colorado games to show their support to the Sanders family, and national media attention was through the roof whether it was for a good or bad reason.
Shedeur getting drafted by the Browns outraged plenty of his supporters and fans alike, most notably NFL Draft Analyst Mel Kiper, who was quoted as saying at the 2025 NFL Draft “I think it’s disgusting and I have no idea what the heck is going on”. This controversy was in the national sports world headlines for weeks, and plenty of theories sprouted as a result. One of the most interesting theories is league-wide collusion to make an example out of Shedeur Sanders and his father Deion who depending on who you ask find both to be extremely confident or the negative alternative, arrogant.
Shedeurs’ fall in the draft wasn’t the only shocking part, the Browns drafted Quarterback Dillon Gabriel out of Oregon with their 3rd round pick drawing even more questions about his situation. Rumors have circled the league and social media that Shedeur had bad draft interviews, and that he was entitled. All of this noise has surrounded Sanders throughout this offseason and into the preseason.
Despite all the noise, Sanders got an opportunity in a preseason game against the Panthers to showcase why he should’ve been drafted earlier,
Sanders looked incredibly solid, going 14 of 23, throwing two touchdowns, and racking up 138 passing yards with zero interceptions to show for it. This opportunity came at the expense of 3rd round draft pick Dillon Gabriel who was out with a hamstring injury, Sanders’ performance made national sports headlines, even for just a preseason game.
It can’t be disputed, Sanders’ popularity is through the roof, Sanders is the number 1 selling jersey in the NFL among rookies, it can be argued that more people want to see him succeed than fail. However it does not matter how much the fans love him, it matters what the Browns ownership and coaching staff want.
In a recent press conference Owner of the Cleveland Browns Jimmy Haslem made it clear that Sanders was not his pick and was solely on the shoulders of Browns GM Andrew Berry. Despite his claim that picking Shedeur wasn’t his doing, Haslem has not gone out of his way to stop Sanders from becoming the face of the franchise as he leaves it to the coaching staff to make the final decisions on who will be the starting quarterback.
The Browns have had a long dark history with quarterbacks, the Browns have had a staggering 40 different quarterbacks since 1999, and have been known to be one of the worst locations for a rookie quarterback to go. The Browns’ current franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson has dealt with a plethora of injuries and terrible controversies involving sexual assault. The Browns signed Watson to a five-year 230 million guaranteed contract in 2022 and still have to see any relevant success from it.
The Browns’ most successful Quarterback recently has been NFL veteran Joe Flacco, who led the Browns to the playoffs in 2023, which was their first playoff appearance since 2020. Joe Flacco was drafted by the Ravens in 2008, he led the team to an eventual Super Bowl win in 2012 in which he was also named Super Bowl MVP. Flacco’s final year in Baltimore was in 2018, since then he’s bounced around the league and has seemed to form a solid relationship with the Browns, Flacco rejoined the Browns in early April of this year after a quiet year in Indianapolis.
Deshaun Watson is still recovering from an Achilles tear that he reinjured in January of this year. This opened up a quarterback competition this offseason between Joe Flacco, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and free agent signing Kenny Pickett. Pickett, a former first-round pick by the Steelers who has struggled in his few seasons in the league. Pickett played decently however in a backup quarterback role for the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles last season.
The quarterback competition for the Browns’ starting position was won by veteran Joe Flacco, who was declared the starter on August 18th, 2025. Flacco’s experience and championship pedigree made him the obvious choice while the two young quarterbacks in Sanders and Gabriel can develop and Kenny Pickett backs up Flacco. One thing we do know is that Shedeur Sanders will focus on doing what is asked of him and will use every opportunity to try to make a case for himself to become the future face of the franchise.
The Browns’ depth chart as per the Cleveland Browns official website and espn.com has Shedeur as QB4 behind Flacco, Pickett, and Gabriel. Shedeur Sanders’ popularity, and support among those around the league are a net positive, not only for the organization but also for Sanders himself, he has performed well in practice and has been solid in the preseason. Shedeur has also been great with the media and what comes with being in the spotlight. Aside from a speeding incident during the summer, Sanders has shown potential to lead as a face of the franchise.
I believe the answer to the question Will Shedeur Sanders eventually become the starter for the browns this year is simple, no. The Browns have made it clear they are not putting him in the position to take over the franchise just yet, but it may only be a matter of time, all it takes is one opportunity and injuries, trades and more can happen quickly in the NFL, if Shedeur plays well in practice and takes advantage of his opportunities, it’s only a matter of time.
