The Cleveland Browns are set to start rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, marking the Colorado product's first career start. And while Sanders is currently the talk of the nation, good or bad, he's likely be in the long-term plans for the Browns, as they continue to look for their long-term answer at quarterback.
With multiple first-round picks in 2026, the Browns have a ton of ammunition and opportunity to find their franchise signal-caller, something Alex Kay of Bleacher Report predicts will end with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza in a Browns uniform.
"With Cleveland trending towards becoming the first of many QB-needy squads to go on the clock during the 2026 draft, Fernando Mendoza would be the optimal choice," Kay writes. "Mendoza has helped turn a long-suffering Indiana program into a national powerhouse and could have that same type of transformative effect on the Browns. After two middling seasons at Cal, Mendoza burst onto the scene in 2025—leading the Hoosiers to 11 wins in his first 11 starts. He's accomplished this while completing an impressive 73 percent of his passes for 2,641 yards and an absurd 30 touchdowns."
Should this be the route the Browns go, it's hard to see Sanders as anything more than a popular backup in Cleveland. Considering all the hoopla we've seen over the last several weeks as it pertains to the fifth-round pick, Cleveland could decide to trade him in order to get unnecessary attention out of the building.
More NFL news:
Buffalo Bills a good fit for recently released former Saints WR Brandin Cooks
Buffalo Bills $24 million wide receiver to miss yet another game
NFL analyst says Justin Fields can help fix Jets quarterback problem in 2026
New York Giants RB Cam Skattebo tells off fans who are angry about his WWE appearance
- The Buffalo Bills need to embrace the chaos of Josh Allen