The Cleveland Browns are internally debating whether to select Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders in April's draft and install him as a backup behind Deshaun Watson, whose $230 million fully guaranteed contract runs through 2026. The proposal surfaced in front-office conversations this week as general manager Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski review depth-chart scenarios ahead of the combine.
The structure breaks from draft orthodoxy. Teams selecting quarterbacks in the first round typically do so to replace aging starters or address franchise uncertainty. Watson is 28 years old and carries $145 million in remaining guarantees. Sanders, projected to land between picks 8 and 15, would enter a situation with no visible succession timeline and limited practice reps behind a healthy starter. The Browns hold the 2nd overall pick after finishing 3-14.
Three factors explain the consideration. First, Watson's durability remains unproven after missing 17 games across two Cleveland seasons due to suspension and shoulder surgery. Second, Jameis Winston—the current backup—hits free agency in March and could command starter money elsewhere after completing 63.2% of passes in seven relief appearances. Third, the Browns lack a quarterback on the roster under age 26. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the 2023 fifth-round pick, completed 44.4% of throws in three starts last season.
The personnel math creates a second problem. Using a top-15 pick on a position where the starter has four years remaining represents a $15-20 million allocation inefficiency at rookie scale. Sanders' four-year deal would pay approximately $28 million fully guaranteed. That capital could instead address offensive line—Cleveland allowed 56 sacks last season, sixth-most in the league—or the pass rush, which generated 34 sacks, tied for 21st.
Sponsor exposure adds context. The Browns' jersey partner, Huntington Bank, extended its deal through 2030 in November at a reported $10 million annually. Attendance at Huntington Bank Field dropped 6.8% year-over-year, with announced crowds averaging 63,200 in a stadium that holds 67,895. A marquee draft selection generates short-term ticket momentum even if the depth-chart logic doesn't hold. The team sold 4,200 new season-ticket deposits in the 72 hours after the 2023 draft, when it selected tackle Dawand Jones in the fourth round.
The Sanders-specific variable involves his father. Deion Sanders' coaching tenure at Colorado elevates every decision around his son to a media event. The Browns would absorb that visibility without the upside of immediate playing time. Compare this to Tennessee, which holds the 1st overall pick and needs a starter, or the Raiders at 6, where Gardner Minshew's contract expires after 2025. Both teams can sell a succession plan. Cleveland would be selling depth.
Berry has not drafted a quarterback in the first three rounds during his five-year tenure, instead trading for Watson and adding Bailey Zappe off waivers in November. That transaction history suggests the front office prefers veteran acquisition to developmental patience. The Sanders conversation may simply reflect scenario planning—war-room stress testing—rather than actionable intent. But the fact that it reached external sourcing means someone inside the building thought it credible enough to model.
Watch for Berry's press availability at the combine in late February, where he'll address positional priorities. The Browns also meet with Winston's agent before the March 12 free-agency window. If Winston walks and Cleveland doesn't sign a veteran backup, the draft calculus shifts. Otherwise, the market expects the Browns to address edge rusher or tackle at 2, where Tetairoa McMillan and Will Campbell both fit. Sanders' name will recirculate if he's still available at 33, the team's second-round pick, but even that feels like allocation theater.
The takeaway
Cleveland's internal Shedeur Sanders debate signals front-office hedging on Watson durability, not succession planning, given four years of guaranteed money remaining.
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