By Reice ShipleyShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberFans of the Cleveland Browns have consistently been calling for rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders to get an opportunity as the starter since the start of the 2025 season. Ahead of Week 13, that announcement finally came from Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, which could help him keep his job in 2026.
Sanders has had to prove himself at every turn to Stefanski, coming into the year as the No. 4 quarterback on the depth chart behind the likes of Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Kenny Pickett.
Thanks to a pair of trades from the Browns to send Pickett and Flacco elsewhere, followed by an injury to Gabriel, Sanders was finally able to break through and earn a starting opportunity in Week 12.
The 2025 fifth-round pick didn't waste his chance on Sunday, performing as well as any Browns quarterback has all season long in a 24-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
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The process of Sanders obtaining the starting job in Cleveland may not have been exactly how Browns fans may have envisioned it.
Regardless, Stefanski seems to finally understand that Browns fans may have been right all along in wanting to see Sanders over Gabriel, naming the former Colorado product the starter for the team's Week 13 game against the San Francisco 49ers.
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This decision comes at a pivotal time in Stefanski's tenure in Cleveland. In recent weeks, speculation has quickly emerged as to whether the former Coach of the Year will keep his job past the 2025 season.
Additionally, the Browns have been linked to quarterbacks in mock drafts leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft. Maybe Cleveland has interest in bringing in a fresh face at head coach to mentor a potential rookie quarterback in 2026.
The harsh truth is that Stefanski needs a franchise quarterback to establish themselves on this Browns team sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, Sanders needs a coach who believes in him to be that franchise quarterback.
Clearly, both sides would benefit greatly by Sanders continuing to make strides in his development. If the Browns are able to finish strong down the stretch of the 2025 season with Sanders under center, there is a scenario where both men are around in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.
Whether that happens or not, Browns fans can at least be happy that they finally have something to be hopeful for at the moment when it comes to Sanders, who clearly provided a much-needed spark on Sunday.
For more on the Cleveland Browns and all things NFL, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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