CHICAGO — What a better way to show the Browns that you can be their franchise quarterback than to outplay the No. 1 overall pick in the draft?
That’s exactly what happened last Sunday when Shedeur Sanders, the Browns fifth-round pick, outplayed — by far — Titans quarterback Cam Ward, who was drafted 143 spots ahead of him.
What’s more, Sanders — who threw for 364 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for a TD — had started only two games before that head-to-head matchup, and had practiced with the starters for only three weeks before almost pulling off a come-from-behind victory in the fourth quarter. Ward, meanwhile, had started 12 games and had taken every first-team rep for the Titans since rookie minicamp in May.
Yet there was Sanders, putting two TDs on the board in the final 4:27, including his own 7-yard scramble and a 7-yard touchdown pass to Harold Fannin Jr., to put the Browns in position to win. If he hadn’t been taken off the field on the final two-point conversion, there’s no telling what may have happened. Sanders, who had also thrown perfectly-place TD passes to David Njoku and Jerry Jeudy, had a hot hand at the time, going 9-for-10 for 107 yards on those final two touchdown drives.
But he didn’t have a chance to throw the two-point pass at the end, or even be on the field for that play. Granted, he had fumbled the snap from backup center Luke Wypler on the previous two-point try after his TD run, and the Browns have been very successful with Quinshon Judson scoring off wildcat snaps. But Sanders was in the zone when he headed to the sidelines, only to watch Judkins take the direct snap and fail to pitch the ball to Gage Larvadain on the reverse. The pass failed, and the Titans recovered the onside kick to preserve the victory.
But for the fourth straight week, Sanders made big-time throws and nifty off-schedule plays and created plays out of nothing. He also ran the four-minute, and two-minute drills for TDs at a high level, showing significant growth in pocket management, and in playing within structure.
He also proved once again that he’s a gamer with the ability to put his team in position to win, like he did in first appearance against the Ravens. And in this case, if they had won the game, it would’ve been because of his toughness and moxie down the stretch with the game on the line.
There’s no doubt that Sanders has displayed the potential to be a quality NFL starter, and it’s just a matter of continuing to build for the rest of the season.
But if he keeps up like this, the Browns might have their QB of the future sooner than later.
Have the Browns seen enough to say Sanders is their man?
Did Sanders’ historic game — he became the first Brown to throw for 300 yards and three touchdown and rush for a TD — prove to the Browns that they don’t need to draft a quarterback with one or both of their first-round picks? They currently have their own No. 4 overall selection and the No. 27 pick from the trade with the Jaguars.
While they were encouraged by what they saw vs. the Titans, they’re not quite ready to take their name out of the hat for one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL draft. Three starts is a small sample size, and two of them came against teams that are currently 2-11. They need to see what he can do in these final four starts against the 9-4 Bears, 9-4 Bills, 7-5 Steelers and 4-9 Bengals before determining if he can be their starter for 2026.
The Bears, for instance, head into the game with a league-high 18 interceptions and 27 takeaways, and ball security will be paramount. Besides, each week, defensive coordinators will have more film on Sanders and identify his weaknesses.
Sanders will need to continue to demonstrate that he can take coaching, correct his mistakes, make big plays, protect the ball, and lead the team.
The Browns want to let the season play out before concluding they don’t need to draft Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore, Ty Simpson or one of the top quarterbacks coming out in this draft. They’ll also need to see where they land in the draft, and which quarterbacks are coming out.
If they have a top five pick with a clear shot at one of the premier QBs, that could factor into their decision. Is there a world in which the Browns can draft a quarterback high and let him compete with Sanders? At this point, anything’s possible, but it’s up to Sanders to make sure the Browns only have eyes for him.
The 2026 QB draft class promises to be good, even if some of the top prospects stay in school, with at least three expected to go in the first round. Again, Sanders has made tremendous strides in showing the Browns that they can forget about those quarterbacks and instead use those first-round picks to fortify the supporting cast with perhaps a receiver and an offensive tackle.
Now, he just has to keep it up.
QB coach Bill Musgrave on Sanders
Musgrave, a former NFL quarterback who won a Super Bowl with Deion Sanders in San Francisco, acknowledged that “all of us rookies have mountains to climb, in terms of how well were we prepared for this level. Whether we’re in the huddle, we’re in the shotgun, we’re under center, we’re no huddling, we’re sending motions. Every language is different, so he’s had a lot to adapt to like Dillon (Gabriel) has, also like little (Billy Musgrave) did 31, 34 years ago.”
But he’s been excited about how quickly Sanders has come along his three starts.
“He’s has worked really hard on his footwork, and his rhythm, and his feet really telling him how to get through progressions … a little bit like the 60-yard touchdown to Jerry (Jeudy) the other day – his feet told him that,” Musgrave said. “Initially, the front side of the pattern wasn’t working … Sure enough, when he got to his second or third hitch step or gather step, he inherently got back to that backside in-cut, and that was outstanding.”
He said Sanders’ mobility is about what they expected. He’s not a Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson when it comes to running, but he has enough mobility to get the job done, and is probably more elusive than the Browns gave him credit for.
“Most fellas in this day and age are going to have to extend the play and escape, just because the defenses are so good,” Musgrave said. “We’re not seeing any more Troy Aikmans or Dan Marinos that are just statues in the pocket, and they just deal from the pocket and crush a defense. But the guy we’re playing this week in Chicago (Caleb Williams) – same skill set. He can throw, but also, he can extend plays and he can get out there and create when the defenses take away what is intended.”
He noted that Sanders learns best by doing, and that they’ve maximized his opportunities.
“There’s different study guide aids, whether it be flashcards, or on your laptop, or watching the film or having more active meetings, walk-through meetings,” Musgrave said. “We used to do that when I was coaching at Cal, and also at Oakland and Denver. It’s a meeting, but we’re moving and we’re walking through it and it helps with visualization.”
The methods have been effective for Sanders, who didn’t get any first team reps with the starters until the week before his first start against the Raiders.
Deshaun Watson gets a promotion and high praise
Musgrave revealed that Watson moved up in his second week of practice to running some scout team and other offensive drills.
“Each and every day he’s doing more, and it’s just great to have him out there,” Musgrave said. “Like I’ve talked about, it’s been great to have him on the sideline for our young QBs. It was great to have him there for Joe (Flacco). He and Joe had a really good rapport. Of course, they were battling against each other, warriors that saw each other, of course, in the AFC for those years.”
Musgrave offered some lofty praise for the Browns’ three-time Pro Bowler.
“I don’t know where we’d be without him.” Musgrave said.
The practice reviews for Watson have been excellent, with the QB displaying his elite physical skills and looking like the best QB on the field on a daily basis. From the top of the organization to the bottom, the Browns have praised Watson as he heads into the final year of his contract.
Will the Browns add Watson to the 53?
The Browns have until Dec. 23 to officially activate Watson off reserve/Phyically Unable to Perform to the 53-man roster. Even though he probably won’t play unless Sanders and Gabriel get injured, there’s some thought to activating him so that he can continue to practice and be out on the field with his teammates.
In addition to getting re-acclimated to the game, he’s been a huge help in practice to the young QBs, especially Sanders now that he’s starting.
At this point, it seems a foregone conclusion that Sanders, Watson and Dillon Gabriel will all be on the team next year.
What does Sanders’ development mean for Gabriel?
With Sanders currently having the inside track to start for the Browns next season, will Gabriel still be on the team? With the Browns’ third-round pick under contract for three more years on his rookie deal, the plan is to bring him back in 2026 and continue to develop him. Depending on how the QB room shakes out, Gabriel could be the backup QB or the No. 3. But the Browns still like him and believe he’s worth the investment of more time.
On OC Tommy Rees
Musgrave, former offensive coordinator for the Eagles, Vikings, Raiders, Panthers, Broncos and Jaguars, says he learns something from Browns young coordinator Tommy Rees, 33, every day.
“He works really hard at his craft,” Musgrave said. “The other day he was a step ahead of the defense there in Tennessee with the plays he called. He was a step ahead on that long pass down there in Las Vegas when we flushed out of the pocket versus cover zero. He’s been a step ahead of these opposing coordinators. I like being around him. I like guys who are tightly wound, and Tommy is because he cares. Guys who actually care about football and care about their profession.”
Rees interviewed for the Penn State head coaching vacancy before it went to Matt Campbell, and is on Michigan’s radar, a source told cleveland.com. He’ll likely receive other calls. But the Browns think very highly of him and will make every effort to keep him.
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