Shedeur Sanders presented with nightmare scenario as NFL analyst shares 'worst-kept secret'

FS1’s Colin Cowherd speculated that the Cleveland Browns could look to select Texas quarterback Arch Manning in the 2026 NFL Draft should Shedeur Sanders fail to impress this seasonShedeur Sanders has been presented with a nightmare scenario that could unfold next year(Image: Getty Images)

Shedeur Sanders already finds himself in a log-jammed competition for the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback job — and it may not be long before another star signal-caller is added into the fold.

Entering training camp this week, Sanders — who recently drew praise for his touching off-field gesture — is buried under Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel on the Browns’ depth chart. With strong play in drills and practice, the Colorado product could set himself up as one of, if not the top backup, entering the regular season.

If he and his fellow Browns quarterbacks fail to impress in 2025, however, Cleveland may have no choice but to take another big swing at the quarterback position in the 2026 NFL Draft.

On the latest episode of ‘The Herd with Colin Cowherd,’ the FS1 personality speculated that the Browns could look to select Arch Manning in the first round and pair the Texas product with ex-Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

“This is the worst-kept secret in the South,” Cowherd began. “Haslam, Jimmy, owner of the Browns, huge SEC Tennessee booster. Leans heavily on the Manning family, very close to the Manning family.

“[Nick] Saban is incredibly close to not only Jimmy Haslam, but Saban’s close to the Manning family as well. And so Saban, if he could land … a top quarterback — like [Jim] Harbaugh going to the Chargers for [Justin] Herbert — he would take a phone call for the NFL.

“And there are two teams guaranteed to be awful this year in the NFL, Cleveland and the Saints. Nick Saban has coached in Cleveland with the Browns under the Belichick staff, and he coached at LSU. This is not a conspiracy theory.”

Arch Manning has been floated as a potential player that the Browns could target in the 2026 NFL Draft(Image: Getty Images)

Given the Browns’ track record of drafting big-name quarterbacks in the early stages of the draft, Cowherd expressed confidence that Haslam would be willing to once again pull the trigger on a highly-touted phenom like Manning.

“And the Mannings are royalty to Jimmy Haslam,” Cowherd continued. “Jimmy Haslam also loves headlines. It’s why he pushed the draft Johnny Manziel and Baker Mayfield. They were the most talked about quarterbacks.

“It’s why he signed a ridiculous guaranteed contract for Deshaun Watson. It would get discussed.”

Despite Cowherd’s bold declaration, Manning to the Browns is hardly set in stone at this time. Though the 21-year-old has been floated as a generational talent, he still needs to prove it on the gridiron before cementing his status as a top pick.

The Browns, meanwhile, could potentially find a dependable starter amongst their current group of quarterbacks. Sanders, for one, impressed his coaches while working with the second team earlier this summer.

“He’s worked his tail off,” Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said of Sanders last month. “He’s really putting [in] a lot of work like all those guys are. But you could tell on the mental side of the game and learning the system and calling it and having that rhythm to it.

“He’s put a lot of work and time and effort into that, and then when you do that, the game starts to slow down, and you can focus on finding completions. And he’s done a nice job of that as camp has progressed.”

Shedeur Sanders presented with nightmare scenario as NFL analyst shares ‘worst-kept secret’

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