Browns GM Andrew Berry won't commit to Shedeur Sanders as 2026 starter despite rookie's progress

The Cleveland Browns are heading into different offseason needing to regroup aft a 5-12 run that led to nan firing of caput coach Kevin Stefanski connected "Black Monday."

But while filling that vacancy will beryllium atop nan privilege database for GM Andrew Berry, reporters were besides wondering what nan team’s thought process is for nan backmost business heading into 2026.

More specifically, what does Berry person successful mind for Shedeur Sanders, nan polarizing rookie who started nan last 7 games for Cleveland, finishing pinch a 3-4 record.

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Executive vice president, shot operations and wide head Andrew Berry of nan Cleveland Browns watches a drill during Cleveland Browns training campy astatine CrossCountry Mortgage Campus July 29, 2025 successful Berea, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

During his end-of-season news convention Monday, Berry was noncommittal while discussing Sanders.

"We’re going to do our activity connected nan backmost market," Berry replied, per the New York Post. "It’s excessively important of a position, and it’s thing that has to beryllium solidified."

After different lackluster season, it’s adjacent for Berry to want to measure everything, including nan backmost position, arsenic he heads into yet different important offseason. The Browns’ caller caput coaching prosecute will person a opportunity arsenic good successful what backmost will beryllium successful spot for Week 1 successful September.

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"I can’t beryllium present and show you coming whether nan solution for, aliases nan starter successful 2026, is soul aliases external. But it’s thing that we’re going to activity done complete nan adjacent respective weeks. And, rather honestly, nan caller caput coach will besides person a batch of input into that arsenic well."

The backmost position successful Cleveland had a nationalist spotlight connected it aft nan Browns selected Sanders successful nan 5th information — he was a projected first-rounder that shockingly fell to Day 3 successful nan 2025 NFL Draft — and Dillon Gabriel out of Oregon successful nan 3rd round.

Veteran Joe Flacco was nan Week 1 starter for Stefanski. But aft Flacco was traded to nan Cincinnati Bengals, Gabriel was nan adjacent man up for nan Browns. Gabriel, though, didn’t person occurrence successful his six games starting, going 1-5 successful his clip arsenic QB1.

After a concussion, Sanders took complete and remained successful spot aft winning his first profession commencement against nan Las Vegas Raiders. He threw for 1,400 yards pinch 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions successful his 7 starts, while completing 56.6% of his throws.

Cleveland Browns backmost Shedeur Sanders warms up earlier a crippled against nan San Francisco 49ers Nov. 30, 2025, successful Cleveland.  (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Looking up to nan 2026 season, nan Browns besides person Deshaun Watson nether contract, and nan embattled backmost is expected to beryllium returning, according to Berry.

The Browns person nan sixth wide prime successful nan 2026 NFL Draft, and they could prime a backmost there.

With each these different factors, Sanders is successful nan operation arsenic nan imaginable starter for Week 1 adjacent season, but he’s going to person to gain that spot.

"I’d opportunity backmost is nan astir important position successful sports," Berry added. "We each cognize that. And portion of nan equation pinch backmost is nan information part. Part of it is nan improvement part, arsenic well. It’s nan astir important part. It’s nan hardest position to play.

"It tin return time, but that’s nan attraction — solidifying that position. That’s nan biggest point that tin lead to sustainable success. That’s privilege No. 1. How we execute that pinch nan operation of soul options, outer seasoned options, nan draft, that remains to beryllium seen. But privilege No. 1 is uncovering nan leader for nan organization. That’s what our attraction is connected successful nan short term."

Executive vice president, shot operations, and wide head Andrew Berry of nan Cleveland Browns earlier an NFL preseason crippled against nan Los Angeles Rams astatine Huntington Bank Field Aug. 23, 2025, successful Cleveland. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images)

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Berry said he saw promising improvement from Sanders successful his first NFL season.

"I deliberation we saw a batch of advancement pinch Shedeur this year. I deliberation that’s some mentally, physically and playing nan position, He’s still very overmuch a activity successful progress, for illustration galore rookie quarterbacks are," Berry said.

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