Shedeur Sanders Has 'Made Incredible Strides' During NFL Offseason, Says Browns' Andrew Berry

Shedeur Sanders will need to be much better than he was during his rookie season if he is ever going to become a true franchise quarterback, and Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry believes the signal-caller is already making the necessary strides toward improvement.

"Shedeur, he's made incredible strides over the last eight weeks," Berry said during an interview with ESPN's Peter Schrager (31:05 mark). "Really, really pleased with his progress. He's naturally accurate as a quarterback. His command of the operation, control of the huddle, all of those things. You can tell with a year under his belt, he's making those strides."

Sanders is competing with Deshaun Watson for the starting job this offseason, but Berry said the expectation is the battle will last throughout training camp and into the preseason.

That echoed comments from head coach Todd Monken, who told reporters Tuesday he doesn't plan on naming a starter after the team's mandatory minicamp because "they've both played well enough to earn the right to compete to start."

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported he expects the competition to last into preseason game action.

That Sanders is apparently making strides is notable because he didn't exactly dominate during his rookie campaign while completing 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions and posting an abysmal 18.9 QBR.

As for Watson, Cleveland's decision to trade for him and give him a fully guaranteed deal before the 2022 season has largely backfired on the franchise. He has made just 19 total starts for the team thanks to a combination of suspension and injury and is just 9-10 in those opportunities. 

He has looked nothing like the Houston Texans version of himself that went to three straight Pro Bowls and led the league with 4,823 passing yards during the 2020 campaign.

Perhaps Cleveland's long-term quarterback will be someone they select in the 2027 NFL draft given the recent struggles from its two primary options heading into the 2026 season. For now, though, Berry is pleased with the progress he has seen from Sanders leading into the Colorado product's second season.

Whoever ends up winning the job will lead the offense into the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 13.