Are the efforts Shedeur Sanders is putting in the off-season paying off? He's been the most-contributing quarterback for the team, despite him taking quite a few falls as a starter last year. A recent report suggested that the Cleveland Browns might send him on the field as their QB1 in Week 1.

On Thursday, Zac Jackson of The Athletic wrote that Sanders might be the most favorable candidate for the Browns.

“I feel stronger than ever that Sanders, not Watson, is the favorite to win the starting job,” Jackson wrote. “Sanders is 24 and signed for three more seasons. He was never the team’s Plan A last season and might not be Plan A for the future, but giving Sanders every chance to win the job and make real progress is clearly the best option right now.”

Sanders took over as the QB1 in Week 11 after Dillon Gabriel sustained a season-ending concussion. In his eight games, the 24-year-old started in seven. He scored seven touchdowns for 1,400 yards against 10 interceptions. The numbers make it clear that it was a bumpy ride for the quarterback.

In his report, Jackson argued for a fair chance because Sanders did not play many snaps, if any at all, in practise sessions last year. But there is the unignorable fact of Deshaun Watson also being in the mix, who is also eyeing the QB1 job.

Insider Mary Kay Cabot thought that if Watson could be the starter "tomorrow," if the league were to start right away. But Jackson thought that the possibility of him starting is “extremely low,” given his disastrous stint. 

Watson was traded from the Houston Texans for five years with a guaranteed contract worth $230 million. But he re-ruptured his Achilles tendon in the past four years and played only 19 games. Watson missed the entirety of the 2025 season. And in such a situation, Shedeur Sanders seems to be the growing favorite in the community.

Sanders Has Been Noticed By Key Figures, Including Watson's Former Teammate

Recently, head coach Todd Monken gave insight into his plans for the quarterback roster in the upcoming practice sessions. Praising Sanders, he said it is “refreshing” to see him make all these efforts as a quarterback who “knows where he wants to be.”

Sanders has also been training with his private QB coach, Darrell Colbert Jr., and has posted videos of his workout sessions. And Jackson included these plus points in his arguments for Sanders.

“He’s been working on getting stronger,” he wrote. “Social media posts show he’s been throwing with teammates.”

Sanders has also received good words from veteran guard Tytus Howard, who shares a rapport with Watson from their days with the Texans. 

“He’s a great kid, and he has a lot of confidence. I like that in a quarterback. He definitely has the pedigree. He has all the talent in the world. I’m a big fan,” Howard said of Sanders.

But will the QB's efforts translate into the upcoming season? Let us know your thoughts

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Afreen Kabir