Shedeur Sanders has now started five games at quarterback for the Browns, with two more opportunities on the slate to cap his rookie season.
Sanders has flashed his potential at times, particularly as he threw for 364 yards with three touchdowns against Tennessee on Dec. 7. But Sanders hasn’t been able to stem what’s been a rough season for Cleveland, as the club has accumulated a 1-4 record in his starts.
In his Tuesday news conference, Sanders was asked if he’s thought about how much better things could potentially be in his second season.
“No, I live in the present. I live in the present,” Sanders said. “I’m focused on this week and this game — and nothing’s promised. Nothing’s promised going into next year or anything, so I stay in the moment, stay focused on what I have to do now to even be able to be here next year, you know? I just enjoy life.”
Sanders later added that he doesn’t think he needs to feel a sense of commitment from the Browns about being their starting quarterback in 2026.
“I don’t think it’s about anything of that,” Sanders said. “It’s about controlling what you can control — as a person, as a player. I think I have to do my part. I think I have to do my part and get some wins, do my part and play clean football. The rest isn’t in my hands. So, that’s really all it is. I don’t own the organization, you know? So I can’t promise anything will happen. I’m not God, I can’t dictate what’s going to happen each and every day, each and every minute.
“You’ve just got to enjoy what you do have. You’ve got to enjoy the present. You can’t look too deep into the future because then you’ll miss the blessings and the lessons you learn from the now.”
Frankly, Sanders’ approach makes a lot of sense because it’s far from guaranteed that any of the Browns’ decision-makers will be back for 2026. Chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta has already taken a job as the Colorado Rockies’ top baseball executive. After six seasons and just three wins over the last two years, General Manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski could be out as well.
