BEREA, Ohio — A day after the Browns’ 2025 season ended, general manager Andrew Berry labeled quarterback Shedeur Sanders a work in progress. Five months later, Berry told 92.3 “The Fan” that Sanders has made what he described as phenomenal growth during the offseason and spring program.
Coach Todd Monken chose not to name a starter after mandatory minicamp, extending Cleveland’s quarterback competition into training camp. Team officials cited Sanders’ development in footwork and processing as factors behind keeping the race open.
The 2025 fifth-round pick started seven games as a rookie, throwing seven touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in eight appearances. At times last season Sanders displayed an aggressive style and the ability to create with both his arm and his legs; he totaled 275 combined scramble, rush and passing yards over the final eight games, the eighth-most mark in the NFL, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Holding the ball too long remained a problem. Sanders averaged a 3.24-second time to throw in 2025, the highest in the league since his debut in Week 11. NFL Next Gen Stats shows 53.3% of his throws came in rhythm (between 2.5 and 4.0 seconds), ranking ninth among 30 qualifying quarterbacks from Weeks 11-18, while 18.9% were extended attempts (after four seconds), the second-highest rate in the NFL behind Lamar Jackson. Those extended drops resulted in 14 pressures and three sacks, per Next Gen Stats.
Quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian said the focus this spring was quicker progressions and cleaner footwork, with drills designed to match footwork to the timing of concepts. The Browns also used helmet-mounted GoPro cameras in spring practices; coaches replayed audio and first-person video to evaluate cadence, decision-making and where quarterbacks’ eyes moved through progressions as they learned Monken’s offense.
