There’s no doubt that Shedeur Sanders struggled at times during his rookie campaign with the Cleveland Browns. He didn’t start for the team until Week 12 and didn’t produce impressive numbers once he got his chance. Based on the games he played and the stats he posted (7 TDs-10 INTs), many believe right now that he’s a bust.
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Furthermore, reports claim that the Browns may draft or acquire a QB through free agency this year. With new head coach Todd Monken coming in, the team admittedly isn’t committed to any QB moving forward. The coach even called the position an “open competition” as of today.
Amidst all of this, Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris recently appeared on a talk show and had strong praise for Shedeur’s work ethic and presence. He noted that the young QB has been putting in serious work behind the scenes despite all the outside noise.
“I was highly impressed with the kid. I believe that he definitely got the short end of the stick. Everyone made all this big deal about stuff that was out of his control. He can’t control who his dad is,” Harris said during his appearance on After The Horn.
“But the one thing I will say is that Shedeur works, he works his a** off. And he takes the time to hang out with his teammates, which I think is extremely important, especially as a young quarterback,” he added.
If there’s one thing Shedeur detractors can’t question about him, it’s his work ethic and likability. Multiple teammates of his have now come out and shed light on how hard he works when nobody is looking. They’ve also stood up for him to the media, showing that they have his back and want him to succeed.
Shedeur Browns QB1. DT Shelby a Real One. Talks #12
“I was highly impressed with him. He works his ass off. He definately got the short end of the stick” https://t.co/Adea5vXQht pic.twitter.com/wWFNR65Per
— JaKi (@JaKiTruth) March 2, 2026
It’s not like Shedeur was completely awful in his rookie year. He showed flashes of brilliance at times, making throws that not many QBs can make. His best game came against the Tennessee Titans when he threw for 364 yards, three TDs, and added another on the ground.
At the end of the day, Sheduer is facing an uphill battle if he wants to be the Browns’ Week 1 starter in 2026. But if he continues to work hard and impresses Monken and the rest of the coaching staff, he could certainly retain his job. He still only played in 8 games last season, which isn’t enough to know what you have in a player.
After all, number one overall pick Cam Ward struggled immensely in his first 8 games with the Titans. He threw 5 TDs, 6 INTs, and completed just 57.7% of his passes. But after that, he threw 10 TDs, 1 INT, and completed 62% of his passes.
At some point, the Browns need to learn that QBs like Shedeur aren’t going to magically come in and produce Rookie of the Year numbers, and give them a longer runway to succeed.
