Outlook for Shedeur Sanders

By: Jake Rajala

Shedeur Sanders had one of the most depressing draft days for a college quarterback of all time. He was widely expected to be a Top-10 pick – as he was a favorite to be taken by the New Orleans Saints at ninth overall. However, Sanders dropped out of the first round. Not only did he fall out of the first round, but fell to pick 144! With that said, it appears the Cleveland Browns scored on a very talented QB, who has a complex attitude. So, the question is: can Shedeur Sanders start?

Sanders was eighth in Heisman voting – as he unleashed 37 passing touchdowns, 4,134 passing yards, and a 74% completion percentage last season. Sanders was compared to Geno Smith, Aaron Rodgers, and Daniel Jones. His deep throw and ability to make sharp throws on the run remind me of Geno Smith. Of course, Smith fell out of the first round, too.

His biggest flaw was: interviews. It was reported by B/R that Sanders “sandbagged” interviews. I wonder how Shedeur got the idea of not caring about interviews from his Dad, Deion, who once essentially told a team that the interview would be worthless, because he will not be on the board for them. The problem is that Deion was more talented than Shedeur, so he could afford to get away with his attitude.

Sanders will surely compete for the starting gig with Joe Flacco. Flacco went 4-1, throwing 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns to 8 interceptions, in 2023 with the Browns. Flacco proved to be a golden fit for Kevin Stefanski’s offense.

If Shedeur wants to start, he needs to take care of the football (which wasn’t easy for Shedeur in college) Shedeur and Flacco can both make long, accurate throws. They both will not have Amari Cooper or Nick Chubb in their offense to be leaned on. They will both still have open WRs for screens and play-action bombs, as Stefanksi is a wiz when it comes to creating space for his weapons. The question is: who can be more consistent at hitting the targets?

Sean Payton expressed praise for Sanders – as he said “beware” to the teams that passed on Sanders. Praise from Payton needs to be taken seriously, especially with his production from Bo Nix last season. Of course, Payton created a Hall of Fame resume alongside Drew Brees, too.

If Sanders doesn’t start in 2025, he will certainly have a robust chance of starting in 2026. Flacco is 40 years old and 2025 will likely be his last season. It’s also safe to say the Deshaun Watson experiment is over. Like many QBs, Shedeur can sit and learn for a year, and then wreak havoc on the league as a more seasoned QB.