The 3-12 Cleveland Browns have two more games this season to figure out if they have seen enough from rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders to confidently go into 2026 with him as the starting QB. He has had his ups and downs through five starts, and with Deshaun Watson’s brutal cap hits, there is a lot to work through at the position this offseason.
Sanders’ ability to make off-platform throws and generate plays deep down the field has helped open up this offense in a way that Dillon Gabriel and Watson haven’t been able to do. On the other hand, turnovers and decision-making have been issues, which is certainly going to factor into the decision of whether or not the front office elects to bring in another rookie in 2026.
One of the names most often linked to the Browns is Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, who is likely to declare and should be a top-five pick in April.
As exciting as he is, NFL Draft Files shared a clip on X of him coming up well short on a few deep throws this season.
Dante Moore is extremely accurate (best in class actually) layering the deep ball, but he serves up some nasty meatball subs when he has to drive the ball downfield https://t.co/A33SyooEjX pic.twitter.com/q77jvFG9oi
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) December 26, 2025
Moore has a 72.4-percent completion rate, 28 touchdowns, and eight interceptions for the Ducks this season. His production will most likely make him the second quarterback off the board behind Fernando Mendoza, but this fan base just brought in a rookie quarterback from Oregon with a questionable deep ball, so taking a second one could bring about a lot of backlash.
Prior to this season, the 2026 quarterback class was billed as a potential all-timer, but with Arch Manning and LaNorris Sellers returning to school, Garrett Nussmeier having a bad season for LSU, and Drew Allar tearing his ACL, the class suddenly has plenty of question marks both in terms of depth and the quality of the talent level at the top of the class. Even though it’s not the class many hoped for a few months ago, Mendoza, Moore, and Ty Simpson are all enticing talents who this fan base will certainly be getting more familiar with.
Moore’s status as a top prospect will be dissected heavily over the next few months, and Browns fans are certainly going to get much more familiar with him.
On the other hand, perhaps Shedeur can end the season on a high note and make this a much easier decision for the front office.
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Shedeur Sanders Is Facing Pressure At Wild NFL Rate
