Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders has received a harsh take from NFL executives.
The Cleveland Browns have a quarterback battle heading into the 2026 season between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.
Ahead of the season, executives and coaches ranked Sanders 35th out of 35 veteran quarterbacks.
"I'd sleep like a baby if I got to play him every week," one defensive coordinator said about Sanders.
This is harsh criticism of Sanders, who was inconsistent in his rookie season but showed flashes of potential.
"He's inaccurate at all three levels. I can't tell if he's going to get better, but there's a huge gap between him and competent QB play," one executive said about Sanders.
In the 2025 season, Sanders appeared in eight games, starting in seven, and completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 169 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.
USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectThe 24-year-old quarterback is in a battle with former star quarterback Watson, whose tenure in Cleveland has been plagued by injuries and off-field controversies. Watson has appeared in 19 games for the Browns, completing 61.2 percent of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 465 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
The 30-year-old quarterback is entering the final year of his contract with Cleveland, and they hope he can return to the player he was when he was with the Houston Texans.
Watson's last dynamic season came in 2020, when he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league, completing 70.2 percent of his passes for 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 444 yards and three touchdowns on 90 carries.
While he was once a star quarterback, Watson has never played at that level for the Browns, failing to live up to the five-year, $250 million guaranteed contract they gave him after acquiring him from the Texans.
The quarterback battle between Sanders and Watson will be pivotal for Cleveland to have a successful season, as they will need one of them to emerge as a quality player to win games in 2026.
