Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been ranked last among 35 quarterbacks in a poll of NFL executives and coaches conducted by The Athletic. The survey, which involved 50 anonymous voters, placed Sanders in the lowest tier, Tier 5, with some voters expressing significant doubts about his current abilities.
Sanders, son of Hall of Fame cornerback Dion Sanders, received one vote for Tier 3, 37 votes for Tier 4, and 12 votes for Tier 5. Voters cited concerns about his accuracy, timing, and decision-making.
"He's inaccurate at all three levels," one executive stated. "I can't tell if he is going to get better, but there's a huge gap between him and competent QB play."
Another evaluator noted, "He's not an on-time player, can't really read through the coverages, is a little bit heavy-footed. He is thicker and harder to tackle than expected, but you shouldn't lose to him."
Last season, Sanders played in eight games, starting seven, and threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, with a 56.6% completion rate. He ranked last among quarterbacks who started at least seven games in Expected Points Added (EPA) per pass play.
Despite the critical assessments, one offensive coach suggested that working under offensive-minded coach Todd Monken could be beneficial for Sanders. This perspective drew a parallel to the development seen with Caleb Williams under new Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
"Todd Monken is a great reset in the same way Ben Johnson was a great reset in Chicago," the coach said. "Shedeur gets a fresh start with a no-nonsense, offensive-oriented coach who did a really good job with Lamar Jackson."
This coach also indicated that Sanders' potential for improvement hinges on his commitment to professionalism and study of the playbook, areas that were lacking in his rookie year. "If Shedeur has really invested in himself to be a professional quarterback, studying the playbook and knowing his assignments and being able to get the offense in and out of the huddle at an efficient clip, which he could not do last year, then there might be some upside."
Cleveland's quarterback situation also includes Deshaun Watson, who missed the 2025 season due to an Achilles injury. Watson was ranked 31st on the same poll, receiving one Tier 2 vote, 12 Tier 3 votes, and 35 Tier 4 votes. The team's offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, has not yet named a starting quarterback between Sanders, Watson, and backup Dillon Gabriel.