Emmitt Smith Calls Out Browns Over Shedeur Sanders QB Situation
Emmitt Smith isn’t one to bite his tongue-and when it comes to how the Cleveland Browns are handling Shedeur Sanders, the Hall of Famer had plenty to say.
Sanders, a fifth-round pick out of Colorado, started seven games for Cleveland during the 2025 season. His rookie campaign was a mixed bag: 56.6% completion rate, 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Not exactly eye-popping numbers, but considering the context-a Day 3 pick thrust into action under a coach whose offensive scheme didn’t always play to his strengths-there’s more to the story than just the stats.
Now, with Kevin Stefanski out and Todd Monken in as head coach, the Browns are entering a new era. But if anyone expected Monken to immediately name Sanders his QB1 heading into 2026, they were met with a reality check. At his introductory press conference, Monken made it clear: the starting job is wide open.
“That is to be determined,” Monken said. “I am excited to coach all of the quarterbacks in the room this year.”
That response didn’t sit well with Smith, who voiced his frustration in an interview with Kay Adams. And he didn’t hold back.
“I guess coaches want to make sure guys know there’s no security in their position and they want them to be as competitive as possible. No one wants to hand anything to them.
This is how they’re treating Shedeur,” Smith said. “But they handed it [the starting job] to Drake Maye.
They also handed it to the kid in Jacksonville [Trevor Lawrence].”
Smith’s point? If you’re a team that’s struggling to find its identity-like the Browns-it doesn’t make much sense to play coy about who’s leading the offense.
“What does Cleveland have? Absolutely nothing,” Smith added.
“So what’s the debate? Are you going to give it to Dillon [Gabriel] again?”
It’s a fair question, even if the situations aren’t exactly apples to apples. Maye and Lawrence were top-three picks-franchise quarterbacks from Day 1.
Sanders, on the other hand, was a fifth-rounder. Teams simply don’t invest the same level of commitment in Day 3 picks.
But that doesn’t mean Sanders hasn’t shown promise or earned a shot.
And Sanders himself? He’s not lacking confidence. During a recent appearance on Up & Adams, the young quarterback reflected on his rookie season with a maturity and self-awareness that suggests he’s ready for the challenge ahead.
“That’s the most thing I appreciate about this year is that I proved to myself, I’m able to dominate the league,” Sanders said. “I’m able to take completions, I’m able to put all of that together, and definitely in games, we have flashes, but I know I’m capable of doing that. Now, to do it on a consistent basis, that’s what the goal is.”
That’s the mindset you want from a young quarterback heading into an offseason where nothing is guaranteed. Sanders knows he has work to do, but he’s not backing down from the competition.
He’s already proven he can hang in the league. Now, it’s about stacking performances and showing he can do it week in, week out.
The Browns’ quarterback room is still a question mark, and Monken’s system is yet to be implemented. But one thing’s for sure: Shedeur Sanders isn’t going to quietly fade into the background. Whether he wins the starting job or not, he’s going to fight for it-and if you ask Emmitt Smith, he probably should’ve had it already.