After an inconsistent debut for Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders in Week 11, some have lost hope that the former Colorado product can emerge as the quarterback of the future in Cleveland. However, Browns legend Joe Thomas still remains quite confident that Sanders can be a long-term answer for an organization clearly seeking stability at the position.
Sanders is set to get his first real chance with a week of preparation as the starter in Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders. This may very well also be his last chance to prove himself, as Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has made it clear that Dillon Gabriel will be the starter once he is healthy enough to return to action.
Discussing Sanders’ starting debut during an appearance on 92.3 The Fan, a radio station in Cleveland, Joe Thomas shared a confident outlook on who the rookie quarterback is as a player.
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In particular, Thomas made it clear that he still believes Sanders can be the franchise quarterback of the Browns with a strong performance in Week 12.
“He’s a guy that is a natural leader,” said Thomas. “People are drawn to him. They want to follow him. He has an unquestionable mental toughness. An ability to shake off bad plays and move on, which is one of the hallmarks of all great quarterbacks. That was one of the reasons the Browns wanted to draft him. He’s got great leadership skills. People want to follow him. He’s willing to be accountable. He’s very accurate, can push the ball down the field, and he’s a gamer. That’s what I think about when I think of Shedeur Sanders.
“There are definitely some flaws in the game that he needs to work on. A lot of it is because he hasn’t been in a pro-style system before. He’s just getting used to seeing defenses, having to go through progressions and make checks. But that’s why you take a flier on him in the fifth round. He has got a lot of intangibles that a lot of guys drafted higher than him don’t have. You figure that if he can work on some of the things that we feel are correctable, he has got this incredibly high ceiling. He he legitimately could be the franchise quarterback of the Browns in the future.”
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Cleveland has been predicted to be in the market for a quarterback of the future in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft by numerous draft analysts. So it may take a truly special game from Sanders to potentially stop the Browns from looking at quarterback options outside of the organization in the near future.
Still, if Sanders can put together a strong performance on Sunday, it may be tough for Kevin Stefanski to stick with his decision to play Gabriel over him for the remainder of the 2025 season. Especially considering Gabriel hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire in his six starting opportunities.
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