“I got upset with Shedeur yesterday,” Deion Sanders said. “I told him we have 48 hours, son, then all this is over.” Those 48 hours weren’t about a game. They were about a farewell. Coach Prime – usually all swagger and sunglasses – had his head bowed, holding back before Colorado’s Alamo Bowl loss to BYU. It was the last ride with his sons, Shilo and Shedeur Sanders, and it hit like a freight train. After years of Pee-Wee football, Jackson State championships, and Boulder spotlight chaos, the Sanders family story was about to hand over the pen to the NFL.

Except… the next chapter isn’t writing itself the way Shedeur had planned. At the Shrine Bowl, Shedeur Sanders was asked what he’d bring to the NFL team that drafts him. His answer? “A lot of wins.” On cue, the internet remembered something Shedeur apparently forgot – his actual record.

A former NFL scout didn’t hold back: “As a former #NFL Scout – there’s nothing on Shedeur Sanders’ football resume that suggests he can win games at a higher level of competition in the NFL. He was 1-7 vs. top-25 teams at Colorado – and before that, he was at an even lower level of competition at FCS Jackson State.” One win. Seven losses. And that one win came against a TCU team still drunk on its National Championship hangover.

The rest? Just losses. Oregon? Smoked. USC? Couldn’t close. Utah? Don’t ask. The Buffs had talent – Travis Hunter, Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig – but couldn’t win when it counted. That’s not just on the coaching. That’s on the quarterback, too. Yes, Shedeur threw for yards. Yes, he looked sharp on tape. But teams aren’t drafting highlight clips. They’re drafting winners. And if winning is his biggest selling point, the résumé better back it up. Right now, it doesn’t. 

The Browns took him as a low-risk gamble, tossing him into a QB room already stuffed with names – Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, rookie Dillon Gabriel – and let’s not forget the $230 million elephant in the room, Deshaun Watson. So, where does Shedeur fit in? Simple answer: He might not. But while Shedeur’s getting roasted over wins he didn’t deliver, the Browns made a move that surprised absolutely no one – Deshaun Watson’s on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to start camp.

While Shedeur Sanders talks wins, the Browns are quietly benching $230M

Since 1999, the Browns have cycled through 40 different starting quarterbacks. That’s more than any other team in the league. It’s a number that speaks to chaos, not continuity. So, when training camp opened this week with five passers in the room, including a future Hall of Famer, two rookies, and a $230 million quarterback on the PUP list, it didn’t feel surprising. It felt familiar. But even in this usual Cleveland mess, there’s an unfamiliar wrinkle. His name? Shedeur Sanders. And if you squint, there’s a world where the fifth-round pick doesn’t just survive this QB carousel…  He flips it. Sure, Kevin Stefanski hasn’t tipped his hand, but insiders say Shedeur’s football IQ popped… Even if it came mostly against third-string defenders and without a live pass rush.

“He’s wired the right way,” Stefanski said. The deeper truth? Shedeur’s ceiling might depend less on what he does, and more on what Cleveland’s others don’t. And given this franchise’s track record under center, that opportunity could come sooner than expected. Especially when Watson’s twice-torn Achilles is still a mystery bag. And frankly, the Browns aren’t in a rush to solve it. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Cleveland would love for him not to play. Because if he stays sidelined, they activate an insurance clause that could save them up to $44.2 million in 2025. They already pocketed $13.9 million in 2024, in the same way.

So, while Watson’s talking comeback, the front office is quietly rooting for a quiet exit. And with Stefanski confirming the PUP designation – along with injuries to DT Mike Hall Jr. and WR David Bell – the Watson era in Cleveland keeps shrinking. Rehab is slow, optimism is low, and the other four QBs are already deep in the playbook.

As for Shedeur? The Browns haven’t exactly hidden their apathy. Per Maggie Gray, the organization sees him as “low-risk, no-risk,” and could easily cut ties before Week 1. Stefanski gave the politically correct praise – “wired to get in early, stay late” – but actions speak louder than coachspeak. And right now, the action is: don’t get too comfortable.

So let’s recap: Deshaun Watson is still broken, and the Browns are secretly fine with it. Shedeur Sanders wants to bring wins to Cleveland… but brought very few in college. And the team itself? Sitting on a pile of insurance money, injury reports, and quarterback maybes. For now, the only thing certain in Cleveland’s QB room is the uncertainty.