Shedeur Sanders Still Browns QB1 in Latest NFL Rumors, Not 'Safe' in Role amid Malik Willis Pursuit

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders reportedly remains atop the team's depth chart as the beginning of the new League Year for the 2026 NFL season approaches on March 11.

However, that hold on QB1 may be tenuous at best, per comments Zac Jackson of The Athletic made to James Palmer on the latest edition of the Scoop City podcast (the entire conversation on the Browns' QB situation starts around the 39-minute mark).

"I think Shedeur is No. 1 but the least safe a No. 1 could ever be," Jackson said in part.

For the record, Sanders' competition for QB1 doesn't appear to be in the building. The Browns currently have three quarterbacks on the roster in Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson. However, Jackson said Watson is "only on the team because the Browns cannot afford to cut him" and that he's a "last resort."

Jackson also said that Gabriel, the 2025 third-round pick who started six games last year, doesn't have a chance to be the starter, adding that he is "overwhelmed out there" and "just not big enough."

If anything, the competition for QB1 isn't on the roster right now. Green Bay Packers quarterback (and impending free agent) Malik Willis was mentioned as a possibility.

"I think they're in on Malik Willis," Jackson said. "I think they have to be. I think they have to explore every option. I think what Malik Willis has done and can do, because he's still very much a projection, fits what Todd Monken would like to do and fits in a lot of places. Malik would be your starter. Otherwise you have a competition and Shedeur is No. 1 with an asterisk until he's not."

Palmer then asked if the Browns would be financially comfortable with giving Willis a deal ($30 million a year is a reported possibility) given their limited resources at quarterback with the 2026 cap because of Watson's contract.

"They backload every contract anyway, so they're going to create enough temporary flexibility. And really after this year, they do open up a bunch more cap space. They don't have a ton of players because they have so many guys leaving right now."

Jackson also mentioned some hypothetical routes the Browns could go, including the trade market (he mentioned the Indianapolis Colts' Anthony Richardson and the Philadelphia Eagles' Tanner McKee) and the draft (e.g. Alabama's Ty Simpson and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier).

Sanders got the QB1 nod after replacing Gabriel during the Ravens game and remained the starter for the remainder of the season even after Gabriel cleared concussion protocol.

For the season, Sanders completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He added 169 rushing yards and one more score.

The Browns did go 3-4 in his starts after starting the year 2-8, although a tremendous defense was largely the reason for the victories. Sanders ultimately finished 41st out of 42 qualifiers in quarterback rating for the season.

Of course, he's only seven games into his pro career and can certainly showcase better and more consistent play as soon as 2026. He did particularly shine bright in his team's 31-29 road loss to the Tennessee Titans with 364 passing yards, three touchdowns and then 29 rushing yards and another score on the ground.

We'll see what Cleveland decides in short order with free agency beginning on March 11 and the draft not long afterward from April 23-25.