Browns' Shedeur Sanders Receives Concerning Outlook for 2025 Season

The NFL moves fast, sometimes faster than players need in order to develop. The Arizona Cardinals drafted Josh Rosen with the No. 10 overall pick in 2018, then selected Kyler Murray a year later after landing the top spot in the 2019 NFL Draft. Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson were both top five picks in 2023, only to get benched a year later after underperforming.

The Browns drafted two quarterbacks this offseason in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, but with a 2026 draft class that is widely perceived as stacked at the quarterback position, Cleveland is not locked into either passer if the team sees its long-term future in one of next year's QB prospects.

That could accelerate the timeline for Gabriel or Sanders if they don't perform well early. According to Sayre Bedinger of FanSided's "NFL Spin Zone," Sanders could be a "one and done" if he doesn't prove to be Cleveland's solution at quarterback.

"The Browns would be fools not to get Sanders out on the field at some point this season and see what they've got, and this is another situation where the franchise is on the brink of being in a total reset from the top down," Bedinger said on Tuesday. "Even with Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski getting extensions last year, they'll be two years removed from those deals and the Browns have never been the types to shy away from making sweeping changes."

Neither Gabriel nor Sanders had signed their rookie contract as of Tuesday morning, but the mid-round picks likely will not carry much financial burden. Per Spotrac, Gabriel's four-year contract is expected to be worth $6.2 million, while Sanders' is estimated at $4.6 million.

Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco are both set to become unrestricted free agents in 2026, meaning the lone Browns quarterback with a significant cap hit beyond this season is Deshaun Watson.