By Anne EricksonShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is officially the Browns' No. 1 quarterback, and he'll start for the team against the San Francisco 49ers at home on Sunday.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski made the announcement on Monday, noting that even though fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel has cleared the concussion protocol, Sanders will get the nod.
The Browns drafted Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft as the 144th overall pick. Now, that move is paying off, at least for now, as he led them to a 24-10 win over the Raiders in Week 12.
Against the Raiders, Sanders completed 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown and an interception against Vegas.
"The No. 1 job of a quarterback is to win," Stefanski said after the game. "So, excited to get that first win under his belt. And the next thing is improvement, and that's what young players do. Certainly, young quarterbacks do. You get one game better, and that's just from working at it. So, that'll be our focus."
Read more: Deion Sanders Announces Controversial Move Before Colorado Season Finale
...Read more: Shedeur Sanders Deemed Not ‘Healthy’ for Cleveland Browns
But not everyone seems sold on Sanders.
SI's Albert Breer, for example, is doubtful that Sanders is the long-term answer for the Browns. Breer stated that while he thinks Sanders should start against the 49ers, he doesn't "believe the Browns’ starting quarterback for 2026 is on their roster."
He adds that the issue with Sanders is that "he's a fifth-round pick who started the season as Cleveland's third quarterback after spending the summer fourth on the depth chart—and most folks refuse to judge him that way."
Elsewhere, he even says that "the idea that Sanders will be the Browns’ starter in 2026 remains a long shot."
"The coaches, very clearly, felt the need to call the game creatively to help Sanders," Breer stated. "The two touchdowns in the first quarter, scored in the red zone’s tight quarters, came with Quinshon Judkins taking direct snaps out of Wildcat looks. The Browns also punted from the Raiders’ 29—a move I can’t remember ever seeing before—on fourth-and-2 with a minute left."
If Sanders keeps winning, Cleveland might have some different thoughts, however.
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