The Browns don’t have much reason to keep Shedeur Sanders parked on the sideline anymore.
Cleveland opened its 2026 season with a lopsided 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the spotlight immediately swung back to the quarterback situation. Deshaun Watson had a rough day, and head coach Todd Monken told reporters Monday that he "anticipates" Watson remaining the starter in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
That’s the part everyone noticed first. But Sunday’s games around the league offered another, broader argument for giving Sanders a shot: young quarterbacks are allowed to look young everywhere else.
In Cleveland, there’s been a belief that Sanders is still developing, especially when it comes to pre-snap responsibilities. That kind of learning curve is supposed to exist for a second-year quarterback.
It’s part of the job. Across the NFL on Sunday, other teams showed exactly what that process looks like in real time.
Take the Tennessee Titans and Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 Draft. In his second season opener, Ward had a rough afternoon in Tennessee’s 23-10 loss to the New York Jets.
He finished 19-of-32 for 140 yards and one touchdown, took three sacks, and ran for 21 yards. The Titans were just 4-of-12 on third down, and their only touchdown didn’t arrive until 2:42 remained in the fourth quarter, when they were already down 23-3.
Ward looked like a young quarterback trying to find his footing, and Tennessee seemed willing to live with that reality.
New Orleans gave off the same vibe with Tyler Shough, the second-round pick from last year’s draft. The Saints lost 31-30 in overtime to the Detroit Lions, and the final stat line was eye-catching: Shough completed 35-of-56 passes for 410 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. But the box score hides how rocky the start was.
Shough went 10-of-22 for 85 yards and an interception in the first half. He then opened the third quarter with another pick on the first play after halftime.
On the Saints’ next possession, he was sacked on consecutive plays, and the second one ended with a fumble. Detroit turned that stretch into points and pushed the lead to 21-0 midway through the third quarter.
For a while, Shough looked overwhelmed. He was responsible for three turnovers and had Saints fans worried about where things were headed. Then he steadied himself and went 25-of-33 for 325 yards and three touchdowns the rest of the way, giving New Orleans a real chance to steal the game.
That’s the full young-quarterback experience: the bad stretches come with the good ones. Teams around the league are letting those moments play out on the field. Cleveland, meanwhile, is keeping its own young quarterback on the bench behind a veteran who didn’t do much to justify the delay.
Sanders may not be a finished product, but the standard he’s being held to feels unrealistic. The Browns are young, they’re not chasing a championship right now, and they don’t have a strong enough starter to make patience with Sanders look like the better move.
If any team should let a young quarterback take his lumps and grow in public, it’s the Browns.
In Other News...
Browns Offense Had One Bright Spot Fans Should Notice After Week 1
Week 1 against Jacksonville did not give the Browns much to celebrate on offense, but the snap counts at least showed where the structure of the unit is headed. Cleveland leaned heavily on its offensive line, which was on the field for nearly every play, while Deshaun Watson had a few encouraging moments amid an otherwise sluggish day. The running back rotation and receiver usage were mixed, and the tight ends were barely involved, leaving a clear picture of an offense still searching for a rhythm.
For a team that came away with so little production, the encouraging part is that the alignment of the personnel suggests the Browns already know which pieces they trust most. The challenge now is turning that stability up front into something more functional everywhere else, because the passing game and the skill-position distribution left plenty of questions after the opener. The snap chart offered one useful clue, but it also hinted at how much work still sits ahead for Cleveland. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Could Give Shedeur Sanders A Familiar Option If QB Plans Change
Jimmy Horn Jr. is suddenly available, and that alone makes him a name worth tracking for a Browns team still sorting out its young skill positions. The former Carolina Panthers receiver was drafted in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, just after Cleveland took Shedeur Sanders, and the two already have built-in familiarity from their college days together at Colorado.
If the Browns decide to add more depth at wide receiver, Horn fits the profile of a low-cost, familiar option who could help a developing room. The connection becomes even more interesting if Sanders role changes and he ends up handling the offense, since Cleveland would then be looking not just for talent but for players who already know how to work alongside him. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Rookies Gave Fans One Reason To Watch After Week 1 Loss
The Browns opened on the road against the Jaguars with a first look at how several rookies might fit into the bigger picture, and there were at least a few encouraging signs amid the loss. Left tackle Spencer Fano had his hands full with the matchup, but he held up reasonably well for a young blocker, while wideouts KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston gave the offense some life with catches and a touchdown.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren also got into the mix on the back end, and right guard Austin Barber was another rookie who stood out in a way Cleveland can build on. Barber posted the highest offensive grade among Browns players in the game, which is the kind of early showing that can matter for a team trying to sort out which first-year players are ready to contribute right away. [Read more 🡒]