Browns GM Andrew Berry drops hint about Shedeur Sanders’ future in Cleveland originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The NFL Scouting Combine will begin for players competing and testing on Thursday. On Tuesday, General Managers reported and spoke to the Combine media. Browns GM Andrew Berry spoke for about twelve minutes, mostly on topics surrounding the Combine and the Draft.
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It would not be a Browns press conference without at least one Shedeur Sanders question. Sanders will be a topic of conversation until such a time that he is viewed as the Browns’ franchise quarterback or someone else is.
There is no great quarterback prospect depth in this Draft to suggest Cleveland should look elsewhere. Every single quarterback prospect that was mentioned as a possible top 50 Draft pick in 2026 this time a year ago, either suffered a severe injury or had a draft stock altering season.
Arch Manning, Dante Moore and LaNorris Seller going back to school only made this quarterback class less intriguing. Shedeur, despite his Draft position, might be the Browns best option.
Andrew Berry’s Shedeur Sanders to do list
The most interesting factor from Berry’s comments is what he didn’t say. This isn’t a long list of technique issues, knowledge deficiencies or study mentioned.
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“I think the biggest thing we want to see from Shedeur is just continued growth,” Berry said on Tuesday. “I think he grew a lot from start one to start seven. Playing more efficiently and not putting the ball in harm’s way as much would be important. While maintaining the ability to produce out of structure and generate explosive plays.”
The efficiency and protecting the ball was always going to be high on that list. In his rookie season Sanders, had a 56% completion percentage, 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns to 10 interceptions. As compared to his final college season of 74%, almost 4,200 yards and 37 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. One must believe, even Sanders would agree those numbers need to improve.
The explosive plays off structure is an interesting detail as well. Under Stefanski, the quarterbacks were expected to play ‘within’ structure. When Todd Monken was hired to be the head coach, there was an immediate shift to wanting a quarterback who makes plays off structure.
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“The biggest thing he can do is learn the new offense and get in with the coaching staff once our offseason program starts,” Berry added. “Continue to work on his body physically and then make strides when we actually get on the grass.”
“Learn the new offense” should go without saying for any young quarterback getting a new head coach in year two. The peculiar quote in the second part of this, is the reference to his physical body. Sanders was sacked at Colorado 92 times. In only seven NFL starts, Sanders was sacked 19 times. More importantly, the body reference opens the door to a shift in philosophy. From what Shedeur Sanders was asked to do under his father Deion Sanders at Colorado, and what he’s asked to do in the NFL.
Shedeur needs to start distancing himself from Dad
Shedeur will always be his father’s son. There is nothing that will change that. Each of the Sanders’ sons have a little Prime in them. However, every child needs to eventually leave the nest. Coach Sanders has done a great job providing whatever he could to Shedeur’s development. Now it’s time to trust the man he raised can do the rest.
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By all accounts, most college football coaches are more interested in winning college games than they are to spend those years prioritizing an NFL development. In the case of Coach Prime and Shedeur, they certainly wanted to win games. However, there were aspects of the game Shedeur was never asked to do or was encouraged not to do.
The younger Sanders’ physique was one of them. Shedeur worked out, but there was a significant difference between Shedeur’s physique and almost everyone else on the roster. In part due to a lack of running and a lack of risk taking.
Shedeur’s running or scrambling ability was another aspect that was questioned in his pre-Draft process. In the 2025 season, Shedeur showed the ability to scramble, make plays and even score using his feet. Something he rarely did at Colorado.
For Sanders fans, Colorado Buffaloes fans, and even Browns fans, the hard part for Shedeur is over. He has already won over the locker room. With players like Myles Garrett and Shelby Harris speaking publicly on where the locker room stands on Shedeur as their starting quarterback.
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Coming back from a historic NFL Draft slide, limited reps in a baffling quarterback competition, first start in week seven, and playing with a patchwork offensive line and no receivers any other teams viewed as a threat, was the hard part. Now comes the process of polishing what he is and evolving into the NFL quarterback he wants to be. While the GM addresses the offensive line and receiver issues.
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Deion Sanders’ presence on the sidelines of Browns games should not be objectionable on any level. There isn’t a father reading this that wouldn’t do the same thing if they had Deion Sanders’ situation. From there though, Shedeur needs to continue separate the football part from the family part when it pertains to his NFL responsibilities.
Shedeur Sanders famously before a Browns game said, “I’m who they’ve been looking for”. While a bold statement to make in that moment, he’s not wrong. Deion Sanders has prepared him for his moment. Shedeur never gave into any media shenanigans, the Cleveland pressure at his position is not too much and he has embraced the city in a way that no other rookie quarterback since before 1999 has.
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Shedeur can be the answer, but he must begin to become the NFL player he’s meant to be. Even if that means flying the coup and taking instructions from coaches other than his father.
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