NFL Coaches & Execs Vote Shedeur Sanders As League’s “Worst” Quarterback
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Shedeur Sanders entered training camp hoping to build momentum in Cleveland. Instead, he has opened the preseason with one of the harshest evaluations of any quarterback in the league.
How so? Well, anonymous coaches and executives placed Sanders 35th out of 35 qualified quarterbacks, making him the lowest-ranked passer in the survey.
That’s according to The Athletic’s Mike Sando, who released his annual quarterback tiers and rankings this week.
The poll remains one of the NFL’s most respected annual evaluations because it relies on opinions from coaches and executives who regularly prepare game plans against opposing quarterbacks.
Patrick Mahomes again claimed the top spot, although he no longer received unanimous Tier 1 support.
Sanders found himself at the opposite end of the rankings.
One exec offered a brutal assessment.
“He’s inaccurate at all three levels,” he was quoted as saying. “I can’t tell if he is going to get better, but there’s a huge gap between him and competent QB play.”
“I’d sleep like a baby if I got to play him every week,” another coach claimed.
Cleveland Believes Shedeur Sanders Still Has Time To Change Opinions
Despite the criticism, not everyone around the league has given up on Sanders.
One offensive coach pointed to new Browns head coach Todd Monken as a reason for optimism.
He compared Monken’s arrival to Ben Johnson’s impact in Chicago and suggested Sanders could benefit from a fresh offensive system.
The coach also said Sanders must improve his preparation, command of the playbook, and ability to operate the offense if he wants to reach his potential.
Although he eventually earned a Pro Bowl invitation after multiple players withdrew, Sanders finished with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a 56.6 completion percentage. His 18.9 QBR ranked among the lowest in the NFL.
The ranking also arrives as Sanders battles Deshaun Watson for Cleveland’s starting job. Monken has repeatedly stressed that reputations won’t influence his decision.
“Ultimately, I’m not going to decide who the starter is,” Monken said. “They decide by their play.”
