Cleveland beat reporter goes off about Shedeur Sanders' future with the Browns

Ever since the Cleveland Browns announced the firing of head coach Kevin Stefanski, the franchise's future has been entirely unknown.

One of the biggest questions is what the new head coach will do with quarterback Shedeur Sanders after his first season in the NFL. The Athletic's Jason Lloyd appeared on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, where he thinks the Browns should go in a completely different direction from Sanders.

"Shedeur should not be on this team next year. He's not good enough to be the starter, and this organization is not stable and mature enough to have him as a backup... I think he's a really good kid it's just the nonsense that comes with it."

"Shedeur should not be on this team next year. He's not good enough to be the starter and this organization is not stable and mature enough to have him as a backup... I think he's a really good kid it's just the nonsense that comes with it."

📞@ByJasonLloyd on Shedeur Sanders👀 pic.twitter.com/XI8n5qOFA1
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) January 6, 2026

Sanders' future up in the air

Sanders had a decent rookie season with the Browns, as he finished with a 3-4 record as the starter to close the season. He completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns to 10 interceptions, adding a rushing score to the stat line.

The accuracy and decision-making were lacking, but that comes with a rookie playing at the pro level for the first time. Sanders didn't get nearly as much time as any other quarterback in the league to work through a full season as the starter.

A change at head coach could be a really good thing or a bad thing for Sanders. The hope is that the Browns will bring in someone who believes he can develop Sanders and help him grow into the franchise quarterback, as most of the fan base hopes.

There is also the understanding that the new coach might want to bring in his own guy, whether that is in free agency or the NFL Draft. Cleveland should have plenty of options to choose from, as they could get guys like Tua Tagovailoa or Kyler Murray via trade.

The current options on the Browns roster include Sanders, Deshaun Watson, and Dillon Gabriel. Not sure if many head coaches would be excited about the group, but all three have starting experience and can play at a high level. Sanders and Gabriel need more time since they are just completing their first season.

Many Browns fans would like to see Sanders have a full season as the starter to see if they have something special in him, but with the state of the franchise at this moment, it leaves some to wonder whether he would be better elsewhere to develop in a more stable franchise. The Browns hope the next head coach can make that happen and maybe try to make it work with Sanders.