Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders was ranked last among 35 signal callers in a survey of NFL executives and coaches, according to a report by The Athletic. The second-year player received only one vote for Tier 3, with 37 votes for Tier 4 and 12 for Tier 5.
One anonymous defensive coordinator told The Athletic that he "would sleep like a baby if I got to play him every week." Another executive noted, "He’s inaccurate at all three levels. I can’t tell if he is going to get better, but there’s a huge gap between him and competent QB play."
Sanders is entering a quarterback competition with Deshaun Watson, who is healthy after missing the 2025 season due to an Achilles injury, and Dillon Gabriel. New Browns head coach Todd Monken has indicated that the competition will be open.
Sanders took over as the Browns' starter for the final six games of the 2025 season after winning his debut against the Las Vegas Raiders. He completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Despite the low ranking, one voter expressed optimism for Sanders' potential under Monken, an offensive-minded coach. "Todd Monken is a great reset in the same way Ben Johnson was a great reset in Chicago," the voter said. "If Shedeur has really invested in himself to be a professional quarterback... then there might be some upside."
Watson, who was ranked 31st among the 35 quarterbacks, did not play last season. The Browns' first preseason game is scheduled for Aug. 15 against the Chicago Bears.