Browns GM Declines to Name Shedeur Sanders QB1 on Depth Chart at 2026 NFL Combine

Coming off a season in which three different quarterbacks started games for the Cleveland Browns, general manager Andrew Berry isn't tying himself to anyone currently on their roster as the starter for 2026.

Speaking to reporters from the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday, Berry declined to name Shedeur Sanders as the Browns' No. 1 quarterback on the offseason depth chart.

Berry did praise Sanders' growth over the course of his rookie season, adding that the Browns want to see him work on protecting the ball and continue to work with the new coaching staff to learn the offense.

Asked about the possibility of drafting another quarterback again this year after taking Sanders and Dillon Gabriel in 2025, Berry said he "wouldn't put any restraints" on adding at the position.

Despite using two picks on quarterbacks in the 2025 draft, neither one showed enough as rookies to suggest the Browns should feel comfortable relying on them.

Sanders did technically make the Pro Bowl as an alternate, though the AFC talent pool was somewhat limited due to injuries.

Of the 42 quarterbacks who attempted at least 150 passes last season, Gabriel and Sanders ranked 39th and 40th in QBR, respectively.

The Browns had the second-fewest passing yards in the NFL, ahead of only the New York Jets. Their 5.6 yards per attempt was tied with the Jets for worst in the NFL.

Cleveland remains limited in cap flexibility with Deshaun Watson's contract still on the books, though the 2026 season is the final year of his five-year, $230 million deal.

There also aren't a lot of great quarterback options at the top of the draft after Fernando Mendoza, who is widely expected to be taken No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Browns have two first-round picks at No. 6 and 24 overall. They could try to dip their toe into free agency for a low-cost veteran if they want to find a one-year stop-gap option, or run it back with the Sanders/Gabriel duo to see if either one can take a step forward.

If the Browns were to go with the latter route and their quarterbacks struggle, it could set up them up to have a good pick early in the 2027 draft when the quarterback class looks to be much stronger overall.

That's not a strategy anyone in Cleveland necessarily gets excited about given the franchise's well-documented history of not developing young quarterbacks, but there aren't a lot of obvious great choices for Berry and the front office right now.