Shedeur Sanders shares honest assessment on his 2026 outlook

Shedeur Sanders is getting the full Cleveland Browns experience in 2025 as a rookie. The team is now 3-12 and seemingly on the path to draft a top rookie quarterback in 2026.

So where does that leave Sanders in the future plans? That question is currently powering local sports talk radio shows as the calendar approaches the new year.

Sanders himself has shown plenty of humility in his brief time in the NFL and seems to understand the situation he finds himself in. A recent quote from the quarterback, shared by The Athletic's Zac Jackson, illustrates the rookie's mindset as another nightmare season comes to a close.

Shedeur Sanders: “Nothing is promised going into next year so I stay in the moment … stay in what I have to do now to even be here next year.”
— Zac Jackson (@AkronJackson) December 23, 2025

As Sanders notes, nothing is given for 2026 and he is still of the mindset he has to earn his spot on the roster. That is a great mindset to have given the unknowns surrounding the future of this organization.

The potential changes go well beyond the quarterback position, but let's start there. The Browns have two first-round picks in 2026. Logically, this means they can use that capital to land a top quarterback such as Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore.

The caveat to this otherwise straightforward situation involves Sanders and Deshaun Watson. The former just got to Cleveland this year and may show enough to warrant a real shot in 2026. The latter is likely around for at least one more year due to his massive contract, and if he's healthy he may end up being a bridge quarterback while that money gets paid out.

Again, the quarterback situation is up in the air with so many possibilities. But arguably even more notable is the fact the whole organization could see an upheaval. Head coach Kevin Stefanski could be on his way out whether Andrew Berry stays or not. A new head coach would mean a new philosophy and perhaps some demands about the plans at quarterback.

This type of situation is nothing new for Browns fans, but may be a new one for Sanders. He can only control so much and his big task over the final two games is to show some progress in his own performance. That will be a tall task with a makeshift offensive line, but overcoming that may show the organization enough to give him a real shot at being the starter in 2026. If the plan is to bring in a new quarterback, the cycle will simply begin anew.