Recently Acquired Offensive Lineman Backs Shedeur Sanders as Browns Quarterback

Tytus Howard is already trying to increase his teammate grade after becoming a member of the Cleveland Browns.

On Monday, March 16, Browns Insider Mary Kay Cabot released a clip of Howard talking about 2025 starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Howard, who was able to meet Sanders last week, spoke about how he is a big fan of how he plays. He also said he cannot wait to get to work with him.

"He's a great kid, and he has a lot of confidence," Howard said. "I like that. I like that quarterback. He definitely has a pedigree. He has all the talent in the world. I'm a big fan. He actually went to Jackson State, which was in the same division as Alabama State... So I've been following him ever since he was there."

Howard was acquired by the Cleveland Browns in a trade with the Houston Texans. He is expected to play a key role on the team’s starting offensive line in 2026, protecting Sanders.

"He has all the tools to, you know, be a really good quarterback in this league. And he's shown that he can be a great leader, also," Howard continued. "So I'm excited to work with him. I'm excited to, you know, get to know him a little bit more. I'm looking forward to blocking for him."

#Browns RT Tytus Howard met Shedeur Sanders last week. Is a big fan of his game and can’t wait to work with him: pic.twitter.com/GC6NnkizYQ
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 16, 2026

These comments should come as no surprise, though, as since joining the Browns, he's been constantly praising the quarterback room. He also preached his excitement for playing for the City of Cleveland.

"I'm excited for a fresh start," Howard said in the Browns' official press release announcing his acquisition. "Being in a city with such a love for football, and just excited to get here and make an impact – especially on the offensive line, to give Shedeur (Sanders), Deshaun (Watson), all these quarterbacks as much time as possible, to make an impact every day and win some games."

As Howard said, recognizing Watson, there isn't yet a clear-cut starter heading into the 2026 campaign. Throughout the upcoming offseason, Sanders and Watson will be battling for the job, and potentially anyone else the front office adds into the mix.

Sanders Will Have To Earn the Starting Role

Even though he was the team's starting quarteback by the end of the 2025 season, he won't have an easy shoo-in to the role in the upcoming campaign.

That's because, with a brand new coaching staff, he will have to prove why they should trust him to lead the team into a new era of Cleveland Browns football.

While he had some ups and downs while under center, he generally looked pretty good in his first year of NFL action. He finished with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a completion percentage of 56.6%.

Counterpart Dillon Gabriel, who was also selected in last year's NFL Draft, has already been practically thrown to the side. His play last season showed very few signs of growth or long-term promise. That means the competition will be between Sanders and Watson.

To many, that may be a surprise, especially considering Watson hasn't played in nearly two years because of an Achilles injury, but general manager Andrew Berry backed the belief that the starting job will be up for grabs.

When asked about Watson's future with the team at the end of the 2025 season, he said the plan is to have him on roster.

“Look, I can never predict the future, but right now we do anticipate him [Deshaun Watson] being on the 2026 team," Berry said back in January. "But we have a long way to go before we get to that point with any player.”

Sanders will have to show growth in leadership, a command of the locker room and most importantly of all, improvements in his on-the-field abilities. This offseason will determine a lot about his future in the orange and brown.

Praise from players like Howard will give the youngster more confidence, drastically heightening his chances to secure the starting job over the coming months.