Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders will wear No. 2 for the 2026 season, reverting to the jersey number he and his father, Deion Sanders, had retired at their alma maters.

A fifth-round pick in last year’s NFL Draft, Sanders switched to No. 12 for his rookie season since wide receiver DeAndre Carter had already taken No. 2. When he arrived in Cleveland, Sanders was asked if he’d try to buy No. 2 off his new teammate.

“Nah, I’m not trying to buy anything,” Sanders said, smiling. “My signing bonus ain’t that high right now.”

Carter was on a one-year deal with the Browns and was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury after Week 4. He is now a free agent, which opened up No. 2 for Sanders’ taking.

Sanders wore No. 2 for both of his college football teams at Jackson State and Colorado. His jersey was retired by Colorado alongside Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter’s No. 12 during the program’s 2025 spring game.

#2

— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) March 30, 2026

Sanders’ dad, Deion, wore No. 2 at Florida State. The Seminoles retired his number in 1995. Deion, now the head football coach at Colorado, was one of the finest defensive backs in Florida State history and went on to become a top-five NFL Draft pick in 1989. Over his 14 professional seasons, Deion primarily donned No. 21 (and wore No. 37 for his final two years).

Despite starting the season deep on the Browns’ depth chart, Sanders’ No. 12 jersey was one of the most popular in his draft class. From March 1 to July 31, 2025, Sanders’ jersey was the fifth-most sold among all NFL players, per NFL Players Association data, behind only Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels and Josh Allen. By the end of the 2025 season, though, Sanders had fallen out of the top 10.

Amid roster movement and an injury to fellow rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Sanders was thrust into the starting quarterback job for the Browns’ final seven games of the 2025 season and went 3-4. In eight total appearances, he threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was named to the 2026 AFC Pro Bowl roster as a replacement.

Early signs point toward Sanders getting a chance to be new Browns coach Todd Monken’s first quarterback. And although depth chart delegations are far from official, one thing is now known about Sanders’ Year 2. He’ll be repping No. 2.