Andrew Buller-Russ
For a player who wasn’t selected until the 144th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, there sure has been a lot of fanfare surrounding Shedeur Sanders ever since he entered the pre-draft process over a year ago now. Everything Deion Sanders’ son has done, from practice to preseason and regular season action, has been covered at length.
But now that he’s entrenched in a battle with Deshaun Watson to become the next starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns, Sanders is fully in the spotlight, and the attention on him won’t go away any time soon.
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Sanders Predicted to Win Browns’ Starting Job
One thing analysts love to do is make predictions. Naturally, some of these predictions are bolder than others, but I suppose that depends on opinion too.
Recently, former Colorado RB and Denver Broncos Pro Bowler Phillip Lindsay made his own prediction about what’s ahead for Sanders in 2026 during an exclusive interview with Action Sports’ Kyle Odegard. Now a radio host in Denver, Lindsay predicted that Sanders will use his added motivation from slipping on draft weekend to beat out Watson for the starting QB job in Cleveland.
“Everybody at some point in their life, they get humbled. I think that it was a learning lesson for him. It’s not a good feeling. You’re sitting there questioning yourself like, ‘Why doesn’t anyone want me?’ It puts you in a situation where you don’t want to feel that way, and you’re going to work as hard as possible to change people’s minds, and never put yourself in that situation again. So I think you’re going to get the best version of him this year. He will beat out Deshaun Watson. I truly think he can beat out Watson. He’s young. He has very good talent. He’s smart. He just has to go out there and stay consistent.”
Phillip Lindsay on Shedeur Sanders (via Action Sports’ Kyle Odegard)
Is this a bold prediction? Again, that depends on the point of view. But for a second-year player who saw every single team pass on him while 143 other players heard their names called before him to be not just competing but possibly beating out a former Pro Bowl QB for a starting job? That’s a pretty big leap, not for the prediction, but for Sanders himself.
Everyone has doubted him, but Sanders has persevered anyway, and now he could be looking at a chance to become the franchise QB. Of course, it all depends on how he handles himself and what he does with the opportunity, but the job seems there for the taking.
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