The Cleveland Browns announced Monday that rookie QB Shedeur Sanders will serve as their starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2025 season. Head coach Kevin Stefanski made the declaration following Sanders’s career-best performance in a narrow loss.
A Vote of Confidence After a Breakout Game
Sanders earned the nod after a game in which he threw for 364 yards, delivered three touchdown passes, and added a rushing score. Stefanski praised the rookie’s steady growth. “He has constantly and consistently gotten better in each one of these games,” Stefanski said. “He’s been working very hard. I feel good about where his development is heading.”
Sanders had already started the previous three games, going 1–2 in that span. Across those games, he completed 50 of 87 passes for 722 yards and five touchdowns — including multiple completions over 50 yards.
With the final four games of the season ahead, Cleveland is choosing to give Sanders the reins. The Browns, currently out of playoff contention, appear ready to shift toward development over immediate results.
Teammates seem to support the move. Defensive end Alex Wright said in recent remarks that Sanders brings energy to the locker room and shows dedication in watching film and asking questions. “With Shedeur, we’re going to take the next steps,” Wright said. “We’re going to be behind him and keep cheering him on … I want him to succeed like everybody else on the team.”
Offensive challenges remain, however. The Browns recently lost starting center Ethan Pocic to a season-ending Achilles injury. That loss complicates matters for a rookie quarterback asked to lead a developing offense.