Will Shedeur Sanders Be Browns' QB1 in 2026? NFL Insider Would 'Very Much' Bet Not

Shedeur Sanders made his NFL debut on Sunday and was fine, completing 11-of-20 passes for 209 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a 24-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

It remains to be seen if that will earn him a longer look at starting quarterback once Dillon Gabriel is cleared from the concussion protocol. But his chances to secure the long-term role still seem questionable at best.

As Albert Breer of SI.com wrote, "If I were Kevin Stefanski or Andrew Berry, I'd want to see more, just in an effort to get more information on where I stand at the most important position on the field going into 2026, with plenty of information gathered already on Gabriel through [his] six starts. Now, from a big-picture perspective, I'd still very much bet that the Browns' quarterback for 2026 isn't on the roster yet. But from here, it's on the team's brass to get a clear picture out of what is on the roster now (and that includes Deshaun Watson, as I see it)."

Shedeur's 1st NFL TD 🙌

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Through one start and one relief performance during his rookie season, Sanders has thrown for 256 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, completing just 41.7 percent of his passes while taking three sacks. Those numbers are ugly, though there is the context of him operating as a backup quarterback throughout the summer and regular season, leaving him without first-team reps.

Sanders is a lightning rod for discourse, and his first two games aren't going to change much in that regard. The haters have seen enough to fuel their arguments, and the stans were bolstered by flashes on Sunday. But ultimately, it will be the Browns who make the decision.