The 2026 season is yet to kick off, but Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders already finds himself under immense scrutiny. After going sack-heavy last season, this time Shedeur’s throwing motion is raising questions.
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“I figured out why Shedeur throws wobblers and why that ball slipped out of his hands on his INT across the middle the other day,” former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kurt Benkert posted on X on August 16. “He doesn’t hold the ball right, and it’s a simple fix.
“People hold the laces differently, but his pointer finger on the tip of the ball doesn’t allow him to wrap and rotate the ball.”
The Cleveland Browns quarterback has a 2-4-1 grip where he puts his ring finger on the second lace, pinky finger around the fourth lace. However, Benkert has issues with the placement of the index finger.
“He ends up throwing it more like a javelin than ripping/ spinning the ball. It’s why it wobbles often,” he added. “I believe if he slid his pointer down to wrap the ball, it would slightly cock the ball more to 90 degrees on his release and give him more RPMs and grip.”
Benkert advised Shedeur to move down one lace.
This discussion took place after he made a costly error in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears. The quarterback targeted the middle of the field, but his throw was off the mark, giving Beanie Bishop Jr. an easy interception.
“It just slipped,” the quarterback said after the game. “That’s what makes me be mad a little bit because of it. I just didn’t execute the decision, but the right decision was made.”
So, while Benkert questioned Shedeur’s finger placement, according to another analyst, the weather played a bigger role.
Rain and morning thunderstorms created wet conditions for the Bears-Browns preseason matchup at Soldier Field on August 15, 2026, with the rain continuing through kickoff. Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Chase Daniel criticized Shedeur for spinning the football before throwing it, especially in wet conditions.
“A lot of times what happens is when you are playing quarterback in the center, this is like third, fourth quarter, is just dripping wet,” he said. “His b**** just dripping wet, or his face mask. It’ll drip down on the ball, and when they snap the ball back, you can catch it in a certain way. You see him spin it once. He actually spins it twice right there because the ball is either drenched where your thumb is, and that’s the biggest thing.”
It’s to be seen whether Shedeur Sanders will take the advice of changing his finger placement.