One NFL Insider has just dropped a harsh reality check to Shedeur Sanders' hopes of being the 2026 QB1.

Garrett Bush described the Browns’ management as ‘disastrous’ on Thursday’s episode of the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show.

“I guarantee this, if Shedeur Sanders play in 2026, they put everything around him, give pieces and parts, and it didn’t work out, there’s no excuse for nobody. Whether you support him or not, to say ‘I see why the Browns gotta go in 2027 to get a quarterback.’”

Well, since his first appearance in Week 11 against the Ravens, Sanders has split the NFL viewership with his performance. While some believe he has immense potential, as displayed in his Week 14 four-touchdown performance, critics say he just doesn’t play well enough consistently. 

Part of the problem is that the Browns need reinforcements in the offensive line. Sanders was sacked 23 times in less than half a season. Analysts argued the Browns need to bolster the OL while retaining their rookie roster and build around Shedeur.

In any case, Sanders needs to bring in big results in his second season. For a rookie like Drake Maye, it proved to be a turning point as he established himself as a franchise QB.

However, Andrew Berry hasn't made big revelations about the QB spot. When asked about it, he said, "We're going to do our work on the quarterback market. It's too important of a position, and it's something that has to be solidified. I can't sit here and tell you today whether the starter in 2026 is internal or external, but it's something that we're going to work through over the next several weeks."

But Could The Browns Be Making the Same Mistake Again?

Bush brought up last season's QB scenario, where the Browns had a mix of players in the role.

“We brought in Flacco to veteran, we won at the reclamation project in Kenny Pickett, we drafted a young guy who we thought was a developmental project in Shedeur Sanders and then we drafted another guy who we thought could be a higher ceiling backup type guy in Dillon Gabriel. That turned out disastrous,” Bush elaborated.

This time around, the team already has two of those players alongside Deshaun Watson, who has returned from injury, but is on the final year of an expensive contract. If the Browns bring in players through the draft or trade, we could see a repeat of last season. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar