Biggest Offseason Questions For Shedeur Sanders

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders ended his rookie season with a 3-4 record in seven starts, and the offseason is full of questions for the former Colorado Buffaloes star. The Browns parted ways with coach Kevin Stefanski on Monday, and Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry said that the franchise will "work on the quarterback market."

The Browns currently hold the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft (as well as Jacksonville's first-round pick after the Jaguars selected former Colorado star Travis Hunter), making the future the NFL future for Sanders rather unclear.

cleveland browns shedeur sanders andrew berry kevin stefanski nfl rookie quarterback colorado buffaloes deion sanders — Jan 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) takes a break from pregame warmups against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Where Can Shedeur Sanders Improve?

Sanders finished his rookie year with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He flashed his arm talent as well as his ability to operate in the two-minute drill, but Cleveland's offense struggled to move the ball in general all season. In Sanders' seven starts, the Browns averaged 15.4 points per game.

He was one of the most accurate passers in his final season at Colorado, completing 74 percent of passes, but Sanders only completed 56.6 percent of his passes with the Browns. While not all interceptions are a quarterback's fault, Sanders is seemingly still adjusting to the tighter passing windows in the NFL.

Cleveland's offensive line struggled to protect Sanders, but the former Buffs star can speed up his decision making to potentially avoid such negative plays. Sanders was sacked 23 times in the 2025 season.

In 2024 at Colorado, the Buffaloes allowed 43 sacks with Sanders at quarterback. Only five teams out of 133 in the FBS allowed more than the Buffs.

What Did Cleveland's General Manager Say?

Berry addressed the media after Stefanski's firing was announced, and he spoke about the progress seen throughout Sanders' rookie season.

“I think we saw a lot of progress with Shedeur this year. I think that’s both mentally, physically, playing the position. He’s still very much a work in progress, like many rookie quarterbacks are, but I think we saw some really good things in terms of his playmaking, his accuracy, his ability to extend with his feet. And I think I’d also give him credit, as well as our offensive staff for bringing him along, in terms of his pocket management, his situational awareness and things of that nature.”

"Now that all being 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," Berry continued.

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How Much Does The Depth Chart Matter?

Sanders entered his rookie year as the fourth quarterback on Cleveland's roster before the Browns eventually traded away quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. After a concussion to fellow rookie signal-caller Dillon Gabriel, Sanders was thrust into the starting role and never looked back.

How Cleveland handles the quarterback room in the offseason remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the NFL Draft class is still relatively unclear with the College Football Playoff underway. Indiana's Fernando Mendoza is expected to be the top pick, but Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has not yet announced a decision on his future.

Will Sanders have to compete with a rookie quarterback to keep his starting job in Cleveland? The former Colorado star worked his way up from last on the depth chart as a rookie himself, showing how fluid the quarterback situation feels for the Browns.