Browns' Shedeur Sanders Was On Pace For Historically Bad Rookie Season

January 08, 2026

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders jogs off the field during 2025 game.

The Cleveland Browns didn’t just finish 5-12 and move on from Kevin Stefanski. 

They also ended 2025 with a Shedeur Sanders storyline that got louder every week. 

Over his final seven starts, Sanders showed flashes, but he also put up a pick rate that had him on pace for 28 interceptions over a full season, which would match the long standing rookie interception record Peyton Manning once joked about wanting “off his resume."

Shedeur Sanders’ numbers made the noise impossible to ignore

Sanders finished his rookie year 3-4 as a starter, completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, plus a 68.1 passer rating. 

Even in a season where Cleveland rotated through quarterbacks, that stretch became the headline because the pace was so ugly, and it fed the constant “when is he benched” and “is he the future” debate. 

One report even noted his season ended with a QBR of 18.8, a rough mark for any quarterback and especially for a rookie trying to claim the room. 

The Browns’ next coach inherits a quarterback question, not a clean slate

General manager Andrew Berry has said Sanders made progress, but also made it clear the Browns are doing their work on the quarterback market and the next head coach will have real input on who starts in 2026. 

That matters because candidates walking into Cleveland won't just be evaluating a roster, they’re looking at whether this will turn into another messy quarterback competition with the Sanders discussion hanging over every bad drive. 

If the Browns draft or add a veteran, the pressure point is obvious, and the interceptions are the stat everyone will throw back in their face until Sanders proves he can protect the ball. 

Photo Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images 

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