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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders had flashes of great play when he finally got a chance to start during his rookie season in 2025.
But it doesn’t seem to be enough in the eyes of executives and coaches around the league after The Athletic released its 2026 NFL quarterback tier list.
Sanders was dead last among the 35 ranked signal-callers.
“I’d sleep like a baby if I got to play him every week,” an unnamed defensive coordinator in the report said.
An executive added, “He’s inaccurate at all three levels. I can’t tell if he is going to get better, but there’s a huge gap between him and competent QB play.”
The tiers list went from the best quarterbacks (Tier 1) to the worst (Tier 5) followed by a regular ranking vote. After gathering the surveys from the 50 executives and coaches, Sanders received just one Tier 3 vote, while receiving 37 Tier 4 tallies and 12 Tier 5 votes.
“He’s not an on-time player, can’t really read through the coverages, is a little bit heavy-footed. He is thicker and harder to tackle than expected, but you shouldn’t lose to him,” another coordinator added.
Sanders now finds himself in another quarterback battle at Browns training camp, this time with Deshaun Watson healthy and vying for the starting role in new head coach Todd Monken’s offense.
BROWNS COACH TODD MONKEN KEEPING QB COMPETITION OPEN AMID UNEVEN PRACTICE REPS, SHEDEUR SANDERS BUZZ
Sanders, who was named the starter for the final six games of the Browns’ 2025 season after winning his starting debut against the Las Vegas Raiders, threw for an even 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns, while giving up 10 interceptions.
The Browns wanted to see a better completion rate after he connected on just 56.6% of his throws.
Could Monken’s influence as an offensive-minded head coach help Sanders’ development with the Browns? One voter believes so.
“Todd Monken is a great reset in the same way Ben Johnson was a great reset in Chicago. Shedeur gets a fresh start with a no-nonsense, offensive-oriented coach who did a really good job with Lamar Jackson,” the voter told the outlet.
“If Shedeur has really invested in himself to be a professional quarterback, studying the playbook and knowing his assignments and being able to get the offense in and out of the huddle at an efficient clip, which he could not do last year, then there might be some upside.”
Monken still must make his QB1 clear, and he has been steadfast all offseason in saying there will be a competition in his first Browns camp. Sanders, Watson and Dillon Gabriel are battling each other.
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Watson made it on the list, too, ranking 31st among the 35 quarterbacks. He did not play last season as he continued his recovery from an Achilles injury suffered in the 2024 campaign.
The Browns will get their first taste of competition Aug. 15 when they face the Bears in their first preseason game.
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