CLEVELAND, Ohio — Are you willing to risk the Browns 2026 season on “maybe?”

Because right now that’s the best anyone can say about Shedeur Sanders after six starts.

That’s not meant as an insult. In fact, a fifth-round pick even being considered as a future option is a compliment.

The two extremes on Sanders won’t agree. Some will be offended he’s not being declared the guy. Others will laugh at the idea he ever could be the guy.

But the only thing that’s really clear is that, after six starts, it’s a big maybe.

The Browns are in a weird position after their win against Pittsburgh. Had they landed in the top two draft spots, they likely would have had no choice but to take either Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore (if Moore enters the draft). The opportunity would be too good to pass up.

Sitting at No. 6 and likely landing in the No. 4-7 range when all is said and done means they have to make a real decision on Sanders. They’re in a prime position to add high-end talent. If they still want to pursue one of the top quarterbacks, it’s more costly to acquire them since the Browns would have to trade up.

A few spots in the draft doesn’t mean the Browns are forced to roll with Sanders in 2026. They can still draft a quarterback. They can sign a veteran. There are solutions out there, even if some of them are imperfect.

Sanders is one of those imperfect options. The current version isn’t good enough but has shown flashes. If he can finetune the good and eliminate the bad, there may be something there.

Maybe could find the Browns a quarterback. Maybe could also get people fired.

With one more start left for Sanders, let’s continue Tuesday’s 10 takes with what it might look like if the Browns do go all in on maybe:

2. An offseason of development matters

Any decision to keep Sanders as the No. 1 quarterback assumes he’ll make a significant leap. Could it happen with a true offseason that doesn’t involve draft prep? Would a true opportunity during the offseason program and training camp help? Of course.

Sanders’ success moving forward would be dependent on what the Browns build around him — we’ll get to that — but also what he’s able to improve on between January and September.

3. What is the most realistic upside for Sanders?

What would it have to look like around him if the Browns bet on Sanders?

The best model might come from where GM Andrew Berry worked before returning to Cleveland in 2020.

Jalen Hurts will forever be a lightning rod for quarterback discourse. Where he ranked in the quarterback hierarchy was a hot topic last offseason, even after he won a Super Bowl.

The Eagles leaned in on Hurts after drafting him in the second round in 2020 and turned to him as their starter. They still had the bones of a Super Bowl roster. They put him behind a powerful offensive line and gave him weapons. They invested in their defense. They worked around his limitations.

And it’s certainly still not angst free, even with all the success they’ve had with him as their signal-caller.

Denver’s Bo Nix is a quarterback people will argue over his entire career. Denver drafted him 12th overall and he is steering a team with an elite defense and one of the league’s best offensive lines. The Broncos have found ways to win with an imperfect solution at quarterback. Their path forward with Nix will be fascinating once he becomes extension eligible after next season.

The Browns have a lot to fix. Their offensive line and wide receiver rooms need remade. They need to add depth at running back and it would probably help to lessen the load a little on Harold Fannin Jr.

Their defense, as good as it’s been, could use upgrades at safety and better depth at linebacker.

If Sanders can improve in all the right areas this offseason and if the Browns can continue to infuse more real, young talent on the roster, there is a path forward here. Maybe.

4. Which brings us back to the risk

Is that the gamble the Browns want to make?

This last draft class added good young talent to the roster, which is a start. They need to hit on some high value positions this draft that Berry has struggled to hit on.

Even if they’re able to address their roster deficiencies, it’s moot if they’re wrong about Sanders and they don’t have a quarterback.

That’s why entering the 2026 offseason with Sanders as the presumed starter would be too risky for the Browns.

Let’s shift gears and talk about the head coach …

5. Did Sunday’s win make a difference?

I’m not a big believer in late-season “culture wins” for teams playing out the string. The NFL isn’t a league where players quit. There’s too much on the line week-to-week.

So if the argument for Kevin Stefanski to keep his job includes Sunday’s win, it’s not a very strong argument. Just take some time to Google people talking about how hard the Browns used to play for Hue Jackson.

The bigger point is that a game in December after the Browns have already been eliminated shouldn’t outweigh losses the team had earlier in the season. We shouldn’t forget about losses to the Jets and Titans or the loss to the Steelers in their first meeting when the games still mattered in a bad division.

If Browns ownership was waiting for results of two games at the end of a lost season to make their decision, then we should all be a little concerned about the process that leads up to whatever move they do or don’t make next Monday.

6. What about the GM?

Berry had a good draft in 2025. He understood the assignment.

He was also responsible for the construction of the offensive line and choices at wide receiver. Relying too heavily on the oft-injured Dawand Jones and creating almost no competition for the top two receiver spots were both decisions that hurt the offense.

Berry’s blind spot during his tenure has been too often handing jobs to young players who could benefit from earning them in summer battles. He’s also struggled to build a complete receiver room.

The Haslams took the bullet for the Deshaun Watson trade. Normally that would be more than enough of an argument against a GM.

He feels safe for now, but he can’t repeat the mistakes he made last offseason when he left positions that have become thin too vulnerable from the start.

Stray takes

1/110

Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, December 28, 2025

7. If Sunday ends up being Harold Fannin Jr.’s final game of this rookie season — he re-aggravated the groin injury that forced him out of practice on Friday — he will finish with 72 catches, 731 yards and six touchdowns. It didn’t take long for the rookie to ascend to the Browns top tight end spot. The real promise is he was essentially quarterback proof. He put up stats no matter who was throwing him the ball.

8. Kicker Andre Szmyt’s turnaround from his Week 1 disaster is one of the few bright spots of the season. He’s made 21-of-23 field goals, all 22 of his extra point attempts and hasn’t missed from inside of 40 yards since that game.

9. Myles Garrett getting the sack record against Joe Burrow feels right. He’s made a career out of terrorizing the Bengals’ franchise signal-caller.

10. My favorite quote after Sunday’s win came from Joel Bitonio, who will once again contemplate retirement after this season. He’ll decide later, but he admitted he had to give some thought to the idea Sunday could have been his last home game.

“The drive in, you’re by yourself. It’s a lonely drive in. You see the stadium. It crosses your mind. It’s a possibility,” he said. “So, you think about it. I just gave myself a minute to think about it. Then I’m like, ‘Alright. I’ve got a game to play. So we’ll figure that part out later on.’”

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